United We Stand
by Angel0y
Summary: As the Battle City Tournament kicks off, a new face appears on the scene. One that seems incredibly familiar to Yami, stirring up confusion and questions. Will the presence of this new Duelist be a hindrance or a blessing to the group? And how will it affect the future. *Set during Battle City Arc. A new twist on the outcome of the anime series.*
1. Stand and Fight

Dear Readers,

Hello once more. My muse seems to be running again, so lets see how far it'll take me. Recently I've been interested in the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh!, the dubbed version available from Funamation. I do like the series, though I find it a bit low key in some areas. I've always thought that it would be better with a little more realism and darkness added in. There is so much potential in the series that I feel the need to write up a Fanfic for it.

Now, please note that I am **NOT** an active player of Yu-Gi-Oh! The Trading Card Game, so my grasp of the rules is faint at best. I do however play the card game, Magic, the Gathering, which I'm lead to understand has some similarity. Bearing that in mind, most of the duel scene will either be a copy-paste from the anime series, taking monster and magic from what I've watched of the series, or made up by my knowledge of another card game and my imagination. So there will be cards mentioned that don't belong to the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe and I am fine with that. Hopeful you as my faithful readers will be ok with that as well.

Next topic is a touchy one, I know, but I'm going to touch it anyway. ( _Dirty Me :)_ ) I personally truly enjoy Fanfictions with original characters added in. While I love the characters in the series, I always daydream about my own character being inserted into the series. So...that's what I'm going to do. If people wish to flame me for that, they can and they will be ignored. I will try to keep the original characters personalities as close to the series as possible, but as the story develops, so too shall the cast.

My story will be set in the English dubbed universe and will begin at the start of the Battle City Arc. While I loved the Duelist Kingdom Arc and the Legendary Hero's Arc, I really got into the series during Battle City. The fight between Light and Dark seduced me and I loved the more active role Yami-Yugi played in the Arc. As I will be introducing an OC, which will be connected to the Nameless Pharaoh, I felt this was the best place to start my story and the easy to insert a new face. I am also unaware of the ages of the cast of the series, so ages will be ranged from 16 to 18, depending on who it is.

So with introductions and explanations out of the way, I hereby commence this Fanfic into existence. Just so I don't get a nasty letter with the words "LAWSUIT" written on the top, here is my disclaimer.

 ***Yu-Gi-OH! The Trading Card Game and anime series does not belong to me nor does the game Magic, The Gathering. All rights are reserved by their rightful owners, I am merely borrowing their genius.***

* * *

There were many things that could be said about 16 year old Yugi Muto. He was a kind hearted individual who sought to see good in everyone around him. He was exceptionally skilled at games, puzzles and particularly Duel Monsters. His eccentric _(mostly due to his inability to tame it)_ hairstyle drew more than a few glances when he walked down the street. And he had unwavering faith in his friends to stand beside him through every trial and tribulation that should come along.

What one wouldn't say about Yugi Muto was that he towered above his peers. Well...they might, but it certainly wasn't to be taken in the literal sense. Which is what the current woe of said teenager was about as he frowned at his reflection in the floor length mirror of his bedroom. Bright violet eye scrutinised his appearance, wondering silently if he would forever be doomed to constantly lift his head to meet peoples eyes.

 _'_ _You worry far too much about your appearance Yugi.'_

The deep baritone voice heard only in the spiky haired boy's head drew him from his musings. Glancing beside the mirror, Yugi watched the translucence form of his partner appear. The taller, sterner faced version of him was leaning his shoulders against the wall with his arms crossed lightly over his chest, head bowed and a small amused smile dancing across his lips.

 _Yami_...the ancient spirt that had resided within the golden Millennium Puzzle, now awakened and aware since Yugi had pieced the fragmented artifact together. A presence that, for quite some time, Yugi had denied existed. Now the mysterious entity was his most trusted friend in the world, closer to him than a brother. And as a brother, and separate mind inside him, the Darker version made for a perfect target to lay his complaints on.

"Easy for you to say, you're almost a full head taller. I just turned 16, most of my growth spurts are done now." He spoke out loud in reply to his Other Self. While he could communicate mentally with the Puzzle Spirit, sometimes it was easier to converse out loud. Particularly when the two were alone.

Yugi looked back at his reflection, tilting his head to the side slightly. Dressed in baby blue pajamas decorated with yellow stars, he certainly didn't look much different given that he was now a year older than he'd been when he'd sailed to Pegasus's Island to battle for the return of his Grandpa's soul. A memory that still haunted him from time to time. True...maybe he held his head differently and his shoulders might be slightly boarder, but overall...Yugi still saw the same person.

Yami's lips curved in a higher smile as he looked over the young boy lamenting his reflection. Ah, the trials of youth. Pushing away from the wall, the taller male moved his spirit form to stand beside his partner, looking at the twin reflection with his host. Truly, he didn't know why Yugi was so caught up in this problem, but as the elder of the two, it fell to him to comfort the child.

 _'_ _That's nonsense and you know it. Since you've returned from Duelist Kingdom a year ago, you've already gain 4 inches. Even Joey's noticed. You're merely a late bloomer, so to speak. And besides all that, physical height has no merit on how others see you. Even when I take over, I am still smaller than most. Presence is what you make it Yugi, how you carry yourself. And you, my Partner, have the soul of a King, as I've said. You are strong and powerful just as you are. So stop worrying.'_

Yugi sighed a bit and rubbed a hand over the back of his head, "Yah...guess you have a point there."

Glancing over at Yami from the corner of his eye, Yugi noted that his other had a pleased look on his face. Smiling to himself, Yugi turned away, heading towards his closet to dress for the day. He carefully kept his true thoughts from his mind, as Yami could easily pick up on them if he broadcasted too loudly. That the whole ordeal was a ploy to draw a few moments of amusement from the Spirit. While Yami would never voice it, Yugi could sense his near constant uneasiness. Which was understandable, given what had happened a week ago.

Yugi honestly hadn't known what would happened when he'd asked Tea to spend the day with his Dark. He'd hoped maybe that Yami might grow a bit closer to his friends, thought perhaps if he spent time in his body in a normal setting instead of only emerging when a Duel was about to take place or danger was around, that maybe Yami might learn a bit about himself. What he hadn't expected was to run into Ishizu Ishtar at an Egyptian museum exhibit and be told that his Other Self was actually the spirit of a 5000 year old Pharaoh that had once save the world from darkness and was destined to repeat this task in the future.

Needless to say, that had been a lot to take in, even for Yugi who'd once been embodied in the form of the Dark Magician and battled for his friends very souls.

Yami had said afterwards that he was glad to know a bit more about himself, but Yugi knew better. His Partner was worried, but Yami would never allow his anxiety to affected Yugi. So the young boy had to get creative in order to cheer up the Pharaoh, even if only for a few moments. He honestly didn't care about his appearance, even standing short at 5'5''. Which was still an improvement over the 5'1'' he was last year. So yeah, he was glad he was growing, and no...it didn't bother him overly much that he was most likely going to skirt the border of dwarfism for all his life. But Yami didn't need to know that.

"Yugi! Breakfast is ready! Hurry down Son, we need to open the store soon!"

The call of his Grandpa up the stairs jerked Yugi from his thoughts and he quickly dressed in his normal Domino school uniform, sliding his deck onto his belt before securing it. Given everything that had happened up till now, he wasn't willing to go anyway without his Duel Deck. Even in his own home. Sliding the heavy chain attached to the upside-down gold pyramid over his head, Yugi took comfort in the extra weight the Millennium Puzzle caused. Jogging down the stairs, Yugi was met with the heavenly smell of fried eggs and bacon. Feeling his mouth start to water, he darted into the kitchen and slide into a chair at the table.

An hour later, with a full belly and much more energy then should be legally allowed at such an hour on a weekend, Yugi contented himself with sweeping the floor of the Kame Game Shop while his Grandpa sorted out a new shipment of Duel Monster Cards that had just arrived. The air was quiet and relaxed, with a soft cooing from the radio playing in the background. Overall...it was a scene of peace. Which naturally meant in Yugi's world that it was bound to be rudely interrupted.

"Hey! Yugi! How's it going man!"

This boisterous yell was accompanied with the crashing of the glass door of the shop banging open with such force that some of the board games on the shelf rattled slightly. Solomon Muto glared up at the intrusion while Yugi jolted slightly before a joyful grin broke across his face.

"Joey! Hi, come on in. Oh...hey guys." The sight of the tall blond American was boosted when two other forms entered in behind him. Tristan waved lightly at Solomon and Tea smiled brightly while chirping out a greeting. His friends, his group and closest confidences when weirdness started to creep around. Which was rapidly becoming normal where Yugi was concerned.

"Hey Yugi. How've you been?" Ever a beacon of sunshine, Tea soften the presence of the rough and tumble street punk, even as Joey moved further into the store. He smiled back at the dark hair girl, unable to stop the slight flutter in his chest when the sweet tilt of her lips was turned towards him. He briefly sensed a trickle of amusement in the back of his mind and choose to ignore it.

"I'm good, just tidying up a bit"

Joey wrinkled his nose a bit at the broom in his best friends hands but choose to say nothing for fear that his elder mentor behind the glass counter would force the dull chore on him. Instead he grinned at the smaller boy, "Dat's cool. Hey Yuug, something I've wanted ta ask you. Have you hear anything more bout this thing Rich Boy's putting on? All I got is rumor and shop talk sorta thing."

The Brooklyn drawl in the blonds voice never failed to grow a bit stronger whenever he spoke about the higher class Seto Kaiba. While Yugi would never claim to hold friendship with the teenage CEO, he did have a great deal of respect for him, particularly as an elite Duelist. Bearing that in mind, Yugi set the broom aside and started to head into the living area of the building with an over the shoulder comment as his friends, "I got a letter in the mail yesterday, hang on I'll get it."

Joey frowned at Yugi's back as he moved away, "You did? How come you got a letter and I didn't? I swear if Kaiba's trying ta muscle me outta this tournament, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!"

The only female in the all male group choose that moment to speak up,

"Are you really Joey? You sure you have a piece you can spare to give out?" Tea's sapphire eyes sparkled with amusement and her lips twisted up in a cheeky grin.

"HEY!"

Laughs erupted from around the room as the group fell into peels. Joey felt his own lips lift in a smirk even though he was the butt of the joke and chuckled despite himself. Tristan chortled from his position and jabbed at his pal mercilessly, "Dude...you walked into that one."

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up Chuckle Boy."

Yugi giggled as he walked through the door, fishing around in the mail pile till he found the envelop he wanted. Returning to the retail shop area, he held it in the air like a victory flag, "Here it is. I haven't opened it yet."

"Well...don't keep us waiting. Let's see what Moneybag's has ta say for himself."

The crisp envelop bore the Kaiba Corp. symbol in the left hand corner and Yugi's name and address typed across the front. As he tore open the stationary, there was stirring in the back of his mind as Yami emerged, curious at the situation. Yugi felt the Spirit settle behind him, unseen by any save the Puzzle Bearer, peering over his shoulder as the teen unfolded the letter. He couldn't help himself.

 _'And who was saying that height doesn't mean anything?'_ A chuckle rumbled through the boy's brain.

 _'Hush Partner...our friends are waiting for your response.'_

Yugi let his eyes run over the contents for a few moments. In a rare display of patience, Joey waited a full 30 seconds before demanding answers, "Soo...what's it say Yuug? How'd we sign up for dis shindig?"

Smiling at Joey's irritated tone, Yugi read the words out loud,

"Duelist, you are cordial invited to partake in the greatest Duel Monsters Tournament ever held. Registration for this event will take place from June 1st to June 4th. Please ensure you are signed up before the deadline. Rules and Regulations will be explained during the opening ceremony held on June 5th at 8:00 am in Domino City Central Square. Thank you for your consideration and may the best Duelist triumph. Signed, the Kaiba Corporation."

Yugi glanced over the list of registration places. As today was June 4th, it was the last day he could sign up for the tournament. But according to the letter, all the locations were open until 9:00pm, so he still had time to register. Which he fully intended to do. With Ishizu's warning floating in his head and the deadly events with Bandit Keith, there were plenty of questions that needed answers. Handing over the letter to his blond compatriot when asked, Yugi waited quietly while Joey skimmed the note.

"Looks like da closest place to register is over on Kimbo Street. You wanna head dere now Yugi? We can sign up together." Joey smirked over at his short friend, eye already glittering with excitement, shoulders pulled back, ready to take on any challenge. From his position as a Spirit, Yami smiled slightly. Joey was a fighter, a proud Duelist and a loyal partner. Yugi was lucky to have befriended him, and in turn, so was he through the young Light.

Unfortunately, said boy was forced to shake his head, "I can't right now Joey. Grandpa has a doctors appointment in an hour and is headed to the museum to visit a friend after that. I have to run the store while he's gone."

Solomon had stayed quiet during the exchange, merely smiling at his Grandson and his friends. Now he stepped in, placing a hand on his boy's shoulder, "You can close up early today Yugi. After all I'd hate for you to miss the deadline for the tournament. It sounds like its going to be quite the event."

"Cool, Grandpa. Thanks."

"Alright, dat sound great. We're gonna rock dis thing. Right Yugi!"

Laughter once more filled the store as Joey struck a victory pose. Tristan punched the taller man in the arm lightly with the offhand comment of, "You're so full of yourself." Which resulted in Joey throwing the chestnut haired male into a headlock, starting a brotherly wrestling match. Tea covered her mouth with her hand, giggling at the antics of her friends while moving closer to Yugi. The two observed their friends for a moment or two before the dancer tilted her head towards the spike headed youth.

"You okay Yugi? Like...really okay? I know...there's been a lot going on. How're you taking it?"

Tea looked over at her childhood friend and saw his constant smile falter slightly. Her heart sank a little and she gently placed the tips of her fingers on his arm. She really was worried about him, and about the strange soul that resided within him. So much had happened, so many life and death situations. It was a roller-coaster ride that didn't seem to want to end. It was enough to turn her hair grey, never mind what Yugi must be going through.

Said boy in question stayed quiet for a few moments, studying his rambunctious friends before responding, "Honestly Tea...I'm kinda excited...scared, but excited. If entering into Kaiba's tournament can help Yami remember more about his past, then I'm all for it. I know that if we all stick together, there's really nothing we can't do."

The female studied Yugi closely before she smiled back. Tea still felt uneasy and nervous about the whole thing, but she would stand by her friends till the world burned down, "Yah...you're right. And you know we're here for you...till the end."

"Got dat right!"

The moment was ruined by Joey's loud voice and joyful laughs echoed through the store once more as the group descended into pleasant chit chat.

* * *

As evening rolled around, Yugi finished up with the last customer of the day. Tea and Tristan had left the store around 3:00pm, promising to be present in Central Square for the opening ceremony tomorrow. Joey, wanting to register with Yugi, had altered between making a pest of himself on the store floor and lounging in the back room watching T.V. Currently the blond freeloader was draped across the display counter, watching with expectant eyes.

Turning the deadbolt on the glass door seemed to be the signal he was waiting for and Yugi was completely unsurprised when his friend jumped to his feet with a whoop.

"Alright! Finally...thought this day would never end. You ready to go?"

Yugi grinned back at Joey and dusted his hands together, "Let me grab my ID and we can head out."

"Cool. Meet ya out front Yuug."

A few minutes later the duo was walking side by side down the darkening streets of Domino City. The streetlights were beginning to come on as the sunlight faded and night started to take over. The heat from the summer season still lingered in the air, making Yugi debate about removing his blue school coat. But he was interrupted from the thought by Joey's voice, which was pitched in a soft tone,

"Hey Yugi. Listen...I..." Joey paused, one hand rubbing at the back of his head as he tried to gather his thoughts. His vertically challenged buddy picked up on his discomfort and smiled brightly, staying silent. That act gave the blond the courage to keep speaking,

"I wanted ta say...well...see, Serenity...my sister. She's getting prepped for her operation on her eyes tonight. And...well you know...none of dat would have been possible without your help. I've said it before and I know ya wave it off...but...I want you ta know just how much your support and friendship mean ta me. So...thanks Yugi...just...thank you...for everything."

The tall male took in a slightly shuddering breath afterwards. Saying his inner most feeling out loud was hard for him. With his family life, the drunk father he lived with and distance mother figure, as well as having to basically fight for everything he every had, Joey Wheeler was not one who openly showed his soul. But for Yugi, for this small boy that had showed him more love than his genetic donator, for him he was willing to do anything.

"Joey...it was my pleasure. But you know you earned the money for Serenity's operation on your own. Your skill and strength saw you through. I just...gave you the push in the right direction." From the back of his mind, Yugi sense Yami stir and listen in to Joey's quiet confession. The Spirit Pharaoh rumbled a soft reply, _'Well said Yugi. Joey has come a long way from when you first met him. He is a true friend.'_

The two exchanged normal conversation as they came upon the building. Joey pushed open the door for Yugi and followed him inside. The bright florescence lighting made both of the boys blink for a moment while their vision adjusted. A tall wiry man stood behind the counter on the far side of the room. When the adult looked up at the pair, Yugi repressed a shudder. The man's eyes reminded him of a cats gaze, narrowed and sharp with predatory intent.

Yami growled softly in Yugi's head, but said nothing. The two approached and Yugi forced a smile onto his face, "Good evening. My friend and I are here to register for the Kaiba Corp Duelist Tournament."

Sharp eye glanced over them before a sickly smile traced across Seeker's face. More victims to check over. Master Marik would be pleased. First things first however,

"Of course, I would be happy to help. If you would please present your ID, I can register you into the system."

Both boys showed their school ID's. Yugi was rated as a 5 star Duelist and had no trouble entering. Joey however...

"What'da mean I don't qualify! Grrr...that Kaiba! How dare he try ta shove me out! Why I otta!..."

"Joey! Calm down...please...getting upsets not gonna help this." Yugi waved his hands, trying to pacify his rapidly enraging friend. This was going to get ugly really quickly if something didn't happen.

That something came as an unknown amused, musical voice speaking from behind the duo,

"Your systems database is clearly flawed Sir."

Both Yugi and Joey turned to see who'd just spoken, with the former instinctively lifting his head, expecting to see someone taller than him. To Yugi's surprise, he was almost eye level with the new person in the room. Who...was a girl?

The newcomer was a young lady, no older than Yugi. And a rather small one at that, only standing about 5'6''-5'7'' But that wasn't the feature that drew attention. What caught the boys eyes was the mop of flaming red hair she sported. As well as the way it was styled. Most girls they knew had long hair, even Tea's brushed her shoulder's now. The ruby locks ended at the bottom of the girls ears and was gelled back slightly to look almost windblown. Two longer sideburn tresses dangled down pasted her shoulders and a fringe of bangs covered her forehead. Pale milky white skin suggested American or British decent. She had high cheekbones and curving lips that were tilted in an amused smirk.

Yugi met the newcomers eyes and felt a slight blush flood his cheeks. _Beautiful eyes,_ he thought silently to himself. Bright, emerald green orbs gazed back at him, dancing with mirth and life. That was all that he managed to think before his mind was nearly overwhelmed by the presence of his Other as Yami surged to the surface so quickly it made Yugi momentarily dizzy. And caused a little panic on his part when the Spirit of the Puzzle started to quickly speak.

 _'Yugi! I...I know that girl! I...'_

Lost to his inner conversation, Yugi failed to notice the girl move past him, _'Really? You do? How? I mean...who is she? I don't know her.'_

Reeling within his own mind, Yami struggled to understand the sudden rush of familiarity that flooded his mind. As soon as he'd seen those eyes, those crisp jeweled circles...Yami had known. He'd been nearly overwhelmed by the sensation and had reached deep to find the source...and come up blank. He knew there should be memories, a name associated with those eyes...but there was nothing. And the frustration pounded at him...because he should know, the feeling was as familiar to him as the first time he'd picked up a deck of Duel Monsters after awakening. But nothing came forward.

 _'I..I don't know...It's there...lingering under the surface of my mind like a whisper I can't quite hear. I...'_

Yugi frowned to himself _'Do you think she's someone from your past reincarnated. Like how Kaiba embodies the High Priest Ishizu showed you. I mean, that would be a good thing right? It would mean we're unlocking more of your hidden past. Doesn't it?'_

 _'I...maybe. I just don't know. She's so familiar...but I can't place any memory associated with her face. Its just a blank sheet.'_

So caught up in his inner monologue was the young boy that he didn't notice the girl engage the narrow eyed man behind the counter,

"Clearly you don't recognise the runner up of the Duelist Kingdom Tournament. Any Duel Monster competition would be total losers to not include him in their ranks."

Not one to turn down a good thing, Joey pumped his fist at the scrawny man, "Yah...You heard the lady! I'm big news buddy and you better appreciate that!"

The register keep looked between the two and checked the computer again, eyes widening slightly when Seeker saw that the blond boy held a Red-Eyes Black Dragon as his rarest card. That combine with the support from the girl and his own plans sealed the deal.

"Oh..my apologies Sir, clearly the system is a bit slow today. Of course you may register."

Joey grinned and glanced over at the red haired girl. She was kinda cute, but his mind couldn't help compare the short fiery bob to a certain blonde's long hair that he hadn't seen in a while, "Dat's more like it. Thank for the assist Red."

She smirked back at him, "Anytime, Blondie." Joey was a bit surprised at the nickname, more so that it didn't bother him much.

Yugi was so distracted by his conversation with Yami that he didn't notice a change in the room till he heard the glass door starting to swing closed and realised the red haired girl had left. Panic gripped his mind,

 _'Yugi...Please! I must speak to her...I need...'_

Yami blinked slightly as he was suddenly flung forward into the young boys body. So sudden was the switch that he was rendered motionless for a moment before being prodded by his other half, _'Yami! She's getting away!'_

Jolted into action, the taller version jerked open the door and darted outside. Snapping his head around, he spotted the retreating form of the mystery girl that had shaken him so badly and quickly walked towards her,

"Miss! Wait, please! Miss!"

The small figure turned back towards him, a long rectangular box tuck securely under her arm. Yami felt his heart pound a little harder as those emerald eyes met with his own dark burgundy wine orbs. He glanced over her attire curiously. She wore a snug fitting peach colored tee-shirt with a slight V neckline and dark navy blue skinny jeans with a thin belt through the loops. A duel deck holder was fed through the leather and rested comfortably at her hip. But what completed her look was the long white floor length silk scarf secured at the base of her neck that ran along her spine. The wide cloth flowed through the air, coiling behind her like a protective serpent, amplifying her presence as she moved.

"Yes?"

Yami swallowed as her head tilted to the side slightly and a small smile flited over her lips. His tongue felt thick and heavy as the sensation of familiarity once more wash over him like a wave breaking on a rock. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Yugi might have been tempted to tease the elder man about his reaction to the females presence. But he stayed silent.

Yami paused, off balance. Now that he'd managed to stopped her, he honestly had no clue what to say and found himself stumbling, "I...Have we met before? I... I feel like I know you."

Pink glossy lips quirked up in another smirk, though there was no mocking behind the smile, "Do you? I'm pretty sure I would remember if I met _'The_ _King of Games'_."

Her voice was light and musical and she stood with an easy confidence Yami sorely wished he could mimic at the moment. He cleared his throat, reaching deep and utilizing his immense will to stabilize himself,

"Yes well...You seem very familiar to me. May I have your name Miss?" He needed to know her name. Maybe that simple fact alone would shake loose something from the depths of his amnesic mind. Her mouth parted to reply and Yami would never admit that he almost held his breath.

"YUGI! Hey Yuug! You forgot your Duel Disk System! Yugi!"

The loud yell split the air and jolted Yami suddenly. He spun instinctively on his toes, shifting his feet to a wider stance and lifting his arms slightly, dropping into a protective position to shield the women behind him in the same fashion he did to all his friends when danger was near. And for the life of him, he didn't understand why he reacted like that for a girl who's name he didn't even know.

Joey was exiting the building behind him, two boxes held in each of his arms forcing him to use his back to push open the door. As he turned to face Yami, a grin broke across his face, "Hey Man! Why'd you run off without your system. Can't compete without the tech, know what I mean. You're lucky I'm such a nice guy."

"What?" Yami asked confused. He turned to look over his shoulder at the flame haired girl behind him.

No one was there.

Yami spun again, eye darting about, searching for her form again. The dark street was empty, save for Joey and him. The street lights illuminated the sidewalk and a car drove down the street, headlight blinding for a moment.

She was gone.

"Yugi? Dude, you okay?"

Pulled from the shock that the girl had vanished, Yami looked over at Joey, who was staring at him with some concern. He straightened and nodded to the blond, "Yes...I'm fine Joey." As his friend handed him the long box, he remembered something, "Joey...that girl that was registering."

"You mean Red? Wha'da about her?" A wolfish grin crossed the blunt boy's face and he giggled almost scandalously, "She was pretty cute, wasn't she?"

Yami squished down the twinge of irritation at Joey's comment, "Perhaps, but that's not what I'm trying to say. You were with her when she signed up right? Did you get her name? Who is she?" He too had been to caught up speaking to Yugi to hear the conversation that had taken place.

Joey looked down at him and his eye widened slightly as he realised he wasn't speaking to his school friend anymore. Of the group of friends around Yugi, only Tea could tell immediately when Yami stepped into Yugi's form. Joey and Tristan knew about him, but it still took a few minutes for them to tell the difference between their happy-go-lucky buddy and his more stoic personality. Joey rubbed that back of his head sheepishly,

"Uhh...actually I didn't. Once the scrawny guy handed over the box to me, Red asked to register too. The guy just handed her system over and when she asked if he wanted to see her ID, he just shook his head and said there was no need, he would be a fool to not know who she was and hoped her reputation proceeded her."

Disappointment flooded him. Still no name to the face that felt as familiar as the one he currently wore. Yami shifted the box in his arms, moving back to towards the door. If the man inside knew the girl, he could put a name to the face. But as Yami walked, the skinny man appeared in the glass pane and a _'click'_ echoed as he turned the deadbolt.

"I thought the register locations were open later? Its only 6:00pm"

"They are, but dat guy says he was flooded with Duelist all day. Apparently we got the last systems, so he can't queue in anyone else. Guess he's closing shop for da night."

Yami fought down the urge to sigh. Such an act was beneath him and without the presence of the mystery girl, he was feeling more like himself. Joey shifted again, eye looking over him with concern, "You sure you're okay?"

 _'Tell him Pharaoh. Joey is your friend too, he can help.'_ Yugi's voiced chimed in and Yami frowned slightly at the air.

 _'It may be nothing Yugi. There's no need to worry Joey over it.'_

A touch of steel entered into the teens voice, _'Its not nothing and you know it. This is the first real feeling you've gotten about your past since the museum. Tell him...or I will. The girls gone Yami, and the more eyes on the look out for her, the better our chances are of running into her again. Right? You're not alone anymore, remember. Let us help you.'_

Yami hesitanted in his answer but felt his heart lighten a bit at Yugi's words before he spoke out loud to Joey, "It may be just a coincidence, but I had the sensation that I knew that girl. Like I'd met her before. She seemed so familiar to me...but I couldn't place any memory to her face."

Joey cocked his head to the side, "Knew her? Like...from way back when...yah know, you weren't in Yugi?"

Yami nodded in return and the blond scratched at his cheek a bit, "Well...I sure don't recognise her, but given dat she's in the tournament and how Twig Boy behind the counter acted towards her, I'd say she'll be around for a while. I bet we'll run into her at the opening ceremony tomorrow. I'll keep an eye out and pin her down if I spot her, least get a name outta her."

"That would be most appreciated Joey. Thank you."

He grinned back and clapped a hand on his shoulder, "No problem man. We'll figure dis thing out. I gotcha your back." Yami gave a genuine smile in return and nodded with more confidence. Whatever mystery lingered in his mind, he would have his friends to help him through it.

"Listen...I gotta bounce. Serenity's gonna be getting prepped soon and I want my ugly mug ta be the last and first thing she sees when her operation is done."

Yami inclined his head and Joey waved over his shoulder as he departed. Stepping back into the recesses of the Puzzle and letting Yugi take over once more, the young boy hiked the Duel Disk box further under his arm and started to head home, speaking comfort to his other half and completely unaware of the pair of jade eyes studying him from a nearby rooftop or that his blond best friend would soon run into a heap of trouble in the form of the Rare Hunter, Seeker.

* * *

The opening ceremony of Battle City was certainly memorable. Yugi had awakened early and headed to the square, hopeful that he could walk around for a bit and maybe spot the mystery girl that had riled up his darker half. But he was disappointed when no flash of crimson caught his eye and he stood spellbound with many others when Kaiba's massive airship passed overhead with the CEO's face on the huge screen, welcoming all Duelist to Battle City. The knowledge that only 8 Duelist would make it to the finals was certainly surprising, and completely expected from the harsh teenage. Kaiba didn't take weakness well, so it made sense that he would construct a competition to weed out the less qualified.

True to their word, Tea and Tristen had been at the Central Square to give their support to their two Duelist friends. When Joey had spotted the thin Seeker and demanded a rematch, Yugi and Yami had stepped in, questioning what had happened. Yami's cold anger had risen to the surface when he'd learned Joey had lost his Red-Eyes to the man, but more so when he saw the bruise over the blond males left eye. Not only had this man compelled Joey into a duel outside of the Battle City tournament, but he'd physically struck him as well _(likely multiple times)._ Yugi had agreed wholeheartedly and the two had demanded retribution from the Rare Hunter. No one hurt their friends and got away with it.

The Duel had lasted hours and pushed both of them hard. The crowd had gathered around, jeering and cheering as the two pounded at each others Life Points. Joey had stayed and silently tried to warn Yami about Seeker's strategy. Due to their bond, they'd figured out what the man was trying to do and be able to prevent it. By baiting the Hunter into summoning Exodia's head and the quick used of _'Chain Destruction'_ , they were able to stop the full summoning of _'Exodia, the Forbidden One'_ , and defeat Seeker. Yugi still shivered in memory of hearing the dark voice that had exited the Rare Hunter body as the _'Eye of Wdjat'_ glowed on his forehead. They had a name for their foe now...Marik Ishtar, brother of Ishizu Ishtar.

Battle City was supposed to last 5 days before the quarter-final was held. By the time the first day of the tournament had ended, Yugi was exhausted. And so much had already happened. Between defeating Marik's minion and witnessing Joey's duel against the supposed Psychic Duelist Espa Roba, there'd been no time to search for the girl that had stirred up Yami's emotions. Yugi had been extremely proud of his blond friends victory, confident that Joey would make it into the finals with him. He'd collapsed into bed and fallen into a dreamless sleep.

And now on the second day of the tournament, tensions were high in the city. The competitors were in full swing and multiple Duels were taking place around the city. Yugi and Joey had split apart an hour ago to search for their next match, as well as keep a look out for the red-head. He couldn't help the excitement that filled him as he wandered aimlessly through the city. All around, matches were taking place, the massive virtual monsters filling the streets. Despite the situation, it was quite the sight to behold.

Yami stayed close to the surface of Yugi's mind, walking beside him in Spirit form and observing the surroundings with interest. He was watching a Duel between two young males with such keen interest that he didn't sense the sudden surge of joy his young half felt until Yugi spoke,

"Yami! Look, over there!"

Turning, he looked to where Yugi was pointing. Or more specifically, to the spot of color dotting the air in the distance. Yugi felt a grin split his face as he moved forward towards the outdoor patio café where she was sitting. They'd found her, the elusive green eyed girl. She was seated at a table, head bowed as she read from a folded newspaper.

 _'Its her...she's still here.'_

As Yugi walked, he switched control with Yami, appearing beside him in his own Spirit form. The elder faltered only slightly before continuing forward. Now that he'd had time to adjust the sensation of remembrance where the girl was concerned, he was able to move with his normal calm confidence and grace. As he approached, Yami let his eye roam over her, analyzing everything.

She was sitting primly with her leg crossed and arms resting gently in her lap. A tight sleeveless forest green shirt with a high neck covered her torso and a pair of black shorts exposed her pale legs. A set of strappy white sandals adorned her feet and Yugi commented with amusement that her toenails were painted hot pink. The long white neck scarf was still present, tucked next to her hip and coiling around her feet. It appeared to be a signature look for her, much like Kaiba's obsession with trench coats. A black wrist cuff was on her right arm, with a matching one around her bicep. Her left forearm was covered in a matching black sleeve, likely to protect her skin from the metal clasp of the Duel Disk System.

Speaking of which, the stimulator was missing from her arm. Yami felt a twinge of disappointment that she'd been eliminated already. Till he saw the system tucked onto the seat of one of the empty chairs at the table. So, perhaps she was still competing, merely taking a break. As he got closer, Yami felt his brow furrow slightly in confusion. Her head was bobbing about and she was tapping her floating foot against the air. Yugi chimed in helpfully, pointing to her head,

 _'Wireless ear buds. You can see them sticking out. She's listening to music, probably transmitted from her phone on the table.'_ Yami refocused on the girls ears. Sure enough, he saw a small white device jammed into it. He thanked his younger half silently. Sometimes the modern technology and culture still baffled him. That made things slightly awkward. She wouldn't hear him if he spoke to her. So he did the next best thing and stepped into her line of vision, coming close enough to the table to have his presence sensed and cause his shadow to fall across her reading material.

A moment later, green eyes blinked at the paper before she lifted her face. Viridian met mulberry and Yami felt the rush of familiarity hit him again. But he kept a careful, neutral face as she reached up to remove her one of her ear buds. The pounding of drums and an electric guitar screeched from the tiny device and Yami heard a cooing female voice sing out _"I can make the bad guys good for a weekend",_ before the music ended as the girl touched her finger to her phone's screen.

"Hello again." Yami rumbled out a greeting as she took out her other ear bud and set them aside. She smiled up at him in return,

"Hey King. How've you been?"

The nickname hit a cord in him, making him blink. So familiar...everything about her was so confusing. But he kept his poise and nodded towards her resting Duel Disk, "I'm well, thank you. Are you taking a break from the tournament?" He really hoped she wasn't out already. Something told him she would be a great challenger to face, someone to truly test himself against. Anticipation rippled under his skin as the urge to battle against her started to form.

Her smile grew and she nodded in reply, leaning back in her chair, "Moments to relax are rare to find in times like these. Best to enjoy them while you can." Her words seemed to carry some invisible meaning Yami was unable to grasp at, so he brushed it aside and gestured to the empty chair across from her.

"Wise words...May I join you in your session of reprieve?"

The girl gestured to the chair silently and Yami pulled out the seat before occupying it. He paused for a few moments, studying the crimson haired women as she set the newspaper on the table and pulled her chair forward a bit so she could rest her forearms on the table. A slightly teasing smile flitted around her lips and Yami's heart picked up pace slightly.

 _'You're really into this girl, aren't you?'_

 _'I don't even know her.'_

 _'What does that have to do with anything?'_

Yugi's cheeky comment went unanswered. He loved his partner, truly he did, but the boy had a mischievous streak that would make the devil roll his eyes. He was saved from having to say more by the girls airy voice,

"So I heard you put the boots to some colossal ass-hat of a Duelist yesterday."

Yami blinked a bit at the vulgar term and Yugi broke down into a fit of giggles in his mind, snorting and repeating the term, _'Ass-hat...that's a good one.'_ Clearing his throat slightly, the Puzzle Spirit worded his reply carefully,

"I suppose. The man was a coward and a cheat. And he dared to injured my friend. A lesson needed to be dealt out."

To his surprise, the girls emerald orbs grew hot, anger sparking behind the luscious color and a fire started burning. One that if Yami wasn't who he was, might have cause some uneasiness on his part,

"He hurt Blondie?" Yami nodded once, making a note that the girl seemed to favor nicknames, and a soft growl rumbled out of the girls throat as she glared over his shoulder with an unhappy frown, ire radiating from her eyes, "You should've used steel toes and castrated him afterwards."

Once more, the ancient male was mildly confused _(and a bit disturbed.)_ Ever helpful, Yugi perked up with, _'Steel toed boots. She's saying you should have kicked him harder once he was down. Do I need to explain the second part?'_

 _'I understood that half.'_ Considering the Rare Hunter had been put into a comatose state and had his mind banished to the Shadow Realm, Yugi thought he'd bee sufficiently punished, which he still felt terribly guilty over. No one deserved to be trapped in the dark dimension. But she didn't know that. Yami however made a note of the vicious comment and filed it away for later.

"You've been monitoring my Duels?"

She shrugged lightly, "I keep an eye on those worth keeping an eye on. And your battles are hard to miss, King. Everyone talks about them, you've got that rep, you know."

Yami opened his mouth to response and was interrupted by the arrival of the cafe's waitress. She set a large steaming mug beside the girl. He felt his nose twitch as the scent of cloves, cinnamon and warm milk wafted over to him. Yugi piped up again, _'_ _Chai Tea Latte. It's rather sweet with a spicy aftertaste. Not my preference, but Grandpa likes them.'_ He thanked his host again and looked up at the server when she turned towards him.

"Can I get you anything?" Yami shook his head politely,

"I'm fine, thank you." The waitress nodded and walked away to care for the other patrons of the café.

Yami stayed quiet as the girl picked up her beverage and took a delicate sip. A low hum of pleasure purred from her and her green eyes closed briefly in bliss as she swallowed. He found his eyes tracing the movement of muscle on the front of her throat and stared momentarily at her lips when a moist, pink tongue darted out to lick a few stray drops from the cups rim. He stomped down on the sudden surge that hit him, burying it and hoping Yugi hadn't noticed. If his other did, he chose to stay silent. Giving the girl a few moments to enjoy her drink, Yami finally said what he really wanted to.

"You know, I never did get your name. You left rather abruptly when we last met." The disappearing act she'd pulled now looked incredibly suspicious, given what Marik was doing and the ever growing dark magic that was sweeping the city. _Is she working for my enemy?_ The thought was close to his mind and he tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut that he might be right in his assumptions.

A smirk glued itself to her face and she lowered the mug, "You were busy and I had places to be. Not my fault you're slow on the uptake, King."

Yami felt a frown pull at his lips, till he saw the teasing expression. She was trying to bait him and he would not comply, "Yes well, regardless I'd like to know who you are."

She took another swallow of her drink, eyes dancing with mirth. Her tone was airy and flirtatious when she replied,

"Would you? Well...I'm finding I rather like the aura of mystery. And seeing that little furrow between your brow is rather appealing. I think I'll leave it there a bit longer."

He sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest and studied the difficult women. She clearly had no intention of making this easy. Thus far, he'd sensed no malice or danger from her. But Marik would have all sorts under his command, including a remarkable female actor trying to throw him off balance. Still, he wanted to know who this girl was, wanted a name to the face that he couldn't seem to get out of his mind. And since they were in a Duel Monsters Tournament...

"I have an alterative suggestion then." A crimson eyebrow quirked at him,

"Oh...do tell, King."

Twisting his left arm, Yami disengaged the Duel Disk, pulling out the last free chair and set his unit on the seat. He rotated his arm slightly to adjust to the lost of weight. The system was heavier that most people would think. Flipping open the deck holder at his thigh, Yami withdrew their deck and began shuffling the cards with long, deft fingers, the movements familiar and calming. He smirked back at the girl, a challenge gleaming in his eyes,

"Duel me...right here. Nothing official as far as Battle City rules are concerned. No one loses any cards or titles. Just a friendly, classic tabletop game as it was before the world was flooded with holographic technology. If I win, you tell me your name."

She tilted her head to the side, clearly intrigued but still playing her little game, "Hmmm...and if I win?"

"You won't."

"Well aren't you the arrogant one."

He chuckled darkly, "Not arrogant, merely confident."

"If that helps you sleep better at night."

"Do you accept my challenge?" He found it hard to believe she wouldn't. Duelists were proud individuals. They rarely turned down a chance to test their skills.

"Still isn't a fair deal, King. There needs to be an offer on the table before I agree to anything. That's how the game works, don'tcha know." Yami paused in shuffling the deck. He honestly didn't know what to offer her in return. Ever supportive, Yugi chimed in.

 _'Cover her bill, offer to buy her coffee break.'_ He nodded to the cup in her hands,

"Very well...if you win, the expense of your beverage is mine."

She paused to consider the offer before a light laugh left her lips, "Taking me out for coffee already King. You don't waste any time, do you?" He didn't really know how to response to that, so he just stayed silent. After a moment, the girl set her drink aside and pulled her own deck from her hip, "Alright...you've got a deal."

The two Duelist each shuffled their deck before setting them on the flat surface for the opposite to cut. The girl ducked under the table to fish around in the brown purse on the ground, emerging with a blue ball point pen and put away her ear buds. She moved the newspaper closer, drew a vertical line and wrote _'4000'_ twice to represent their Life Points. Yami was tempted to roll his eyes but resisted. Any Duelist worth their merit could track their own Life Points plus their opponents in their head, but if she wanted to have a physical representation, he wasn't going to argue.

She reached over and picked up her I-Phone, touching the screen a few times. A moment later, soft music played from the speakers, a female voice cooing to the beat of an electric guitar. Yugi perked up as she set the phone aside, _'Alanis Morissette. Cool, I like this singer.'_ Yami choose to say nothing as the lyrics for _'_ _Guardian'_ flowed through the air.

They took back their respective decks and each drew six cards. Yami's focus shifted into what Yugi called _'Duel Mode'_. He stared unblinking at the girl across the table, not looking at his own cards for the moment, mealy studying her expression as she sorted the small rectangles. She was good, her face did not change from the lighthearted expression she wore, staying carefully neutral and her eyes gave away nothing. He couldn't tell if she drawn a good hand or not. He waved his free hand to her,

"Ladies first." Her smirk crept higher as she drew her first card, voice boarding on sarcastic,

"Such a gentleman." Emerald eyes glanced over the new card before she added to her hand and pulled out a different card, "I'll play _'Mystical Elf'_ in Defense Mode. And I'll lay this card face down and end my turn." The familiar image of the blue skinned women looked up at him from the tables surface.

"My move then." He drew his card and was instantly pleased. _'Dark Magician'_ looked back at him from the glossy surface. _Hello, old friend._ Yami added the wizard to his hand and looked at his options. _'Mystical Elf'_ had high defence points, but if he couldn't remove her from the field, it was likely the girl would sacrifice her on her next turn to summon a stronger monster. But he had an answer.

"I summon _'Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts'_ in attack mode. Then I will play the magic card _'Mage Power'._ This spell give my monsters 500 ATK and DEF points for every Spell or Trap card I control. Including the one I just played. My _'Gazelle'_ will then attack your _'Mystical Elf'._ "

He wouldn't drop any of her Life Points, as her monster was in defense mode, but it would still be destroyed as his was on the offensive. Attacking her monster while she had a face down card was a risk he had to take. If it was a trap card, he needed to draw it out to deplete her resources.

Yami waited patiently as she took another sip from her drink. This was a causal duel, so no flaunting or drama was needed. If she wanted to relax while she played, she could. Yami heard her humming softly to herself, the sound almost lost on the air had he not been so focused. She'd set her cards aside during his turn to free her hands and he was unsurprised when she flipped over her face down card and revealed _'Negate Attack',_ stopping his _'Gazelle'_ from destroying her monster. He'd used up a spell card, but she'd wasted one too. They were even.

"I'll lay this card face down and end my turn." Yami shifted back, holding his hand before him and waited for her to continue. She said nothing, and drew her card.

As she studied her hand, her lips started to move and she began to sing along with her phone's music, so very quietly Yami had to strain his ears to hear it. The sound was smooth and soothing, relaxing him almost naturally, something he blinked in surprise about. _Why do feel so at ease around her? She could be a danger to Yugi and my friends?_

He felt the need to speak, if for no other reason than to steady himself, "You have a lovely voice."

She blinked in surprise and a dash of color flooded her cheeks as she realised what she'd been doing. A quietly mumbled _"Thanks"_ was the response before she continued with her turn. What happened next made both Yugi and Yami's opinions of the girl jump several levels. She gently touched her elf's card and smiled slightly to it,

"Thank you for your services. I will choose to sacrifice my _'Mystical Elf'_ and bring _'Kaya, Ghost's Assassin'_ to the field in attack mode." Yami looked over the new monster curiously. It was a Dark type, 6 star creature with 2200 ATK and 1500 DEF. He'd never seen that monster before. And her words before made him want to acknowledge her.

"Few Duelists give respect to their summons as you just did. You honor the Heart of the Cards." He was one of the few people in the world that knew the Duel Monsters were as real as any human and he aways made sure to thank his creatures, even if it was silently. The girl smiled back gently, eyes gleaming with hidden knowledge that disturbed Yami more than he'd care to admit.

"Even fewer Duelists understand the bonds between Monster and Master. But you already knew that...didn't you King?" Yami blinked, the depth of suspicion and unknown growing deeper at her words. This girl knew something, had some hidden knowledge. And he longed more than anything to draw out the answers. But first he needed to finish this match. Yugi shifted uncomfortably at the back of his mind, reminding him to use caution.

 _'Yugi...do you recognise that monster?'_

 _'Sort of. I think it has some weird special ability. I'll try to remember and get back to you. Be careful.'_

"I'll lay two cards face down. That's all for now."

Yami blinked, slightly surprised. She hadn't attacked despite her monster being stronger than his. He looked to his own face down card. She must have feared he'd lain a trap card, which she was correct about but he'd never give that away. He drew his card and looked at his hand. Time to kick things up a notch.

"I play _'Alpha, the Magnet Warrior'_ in attack mode." As soon as he'd played the metal solider, the girl shifted and flipped over one of her face down cards,

" _'Just Desserts'_ trap card activated. You loose 500 Life Points for each monster on your side of the field." Yami didn't react as she scratched out one of the written numbers on the paper and rewrote _'3000'._ She nodded to indicate her reaction was done and he kept going,

"I will tribute both my monster to summon _'Dark Magician'_ to the field." He set the purple clad sorcerer on the table and the girl smiled brightly at the card.

"You honor me now, King. Didn't think you'd bring out your favored in an 'off-the-books' duel."

"All duels should be held in equal ranking, regardless of their nature. And with that, I will attack your _'Kaya'_ with my _'Dark Magician'_. " As he pushed the card forward slightly to show his intent, she reached over and flipped her monster face down. Yami's brow furrow and he looked at her, "What did you do?"

"I activated my magic card." She flipped over the face down spell, " _'Whispersilk Cloak'._ This magic card covers my monster in a cape of invisibility, phasing it out of existence during my opponents turn."

He smirked a little, " A clever move...but you've left yourself open to a direct attack." One shoulder lifted in a shrug and he paused, his admiration for her growing as he suspected what she was doing, "You're willing to take damage to you person rather than see your creature destroyed?"

"Aren't you?" Yami faltered at the calm reply, unsure of how to answer, reverence and pride at her action flooding his system. To stabilize himself, he redirected his Magician to attack her Life Points. She reached over and wrote down _'1500'_ for her total. He was pleased with that result, "I'll end my turn with that."

He'd hit her hard with that move and still had _'Mirror Force'_ face down on his field. Almost at the same moment he spoke, a wave of anxiety from his other half hit him and Yugi jabbered rapidly, _'_ _Yami wait! Don't end your...Ah Hell! Too late! I'm so sorry, I should have remembered sooner! This is going to hurt.'_

It was only due to Yami's extreme discipline and willpower that he was able to keep his face neutral as the young boy lamented in his head, _'Yugi? Remembered what? What's wrong?'_

 _'It's Kaya's special ability. I remembered it shortly after she used that magic card. Now she can...'_

"My _'Kaya, Ghost's Assassin'_ re-enters the battlefield on my turn. And I will have her attack your Life Points directly."

 _'Do that...'_

Yami frowned at the table, "You cannot. My _'Dark Magician'_ is defending me."

"Oh, but I can King. _'Whispersilk Cloak'_ is Kaya's personal armament, woven from a portion of her own soul. When it is equipped to her, the magic recognises its creator and grants special properties. It hides her from all monsters and traps, shielding her from harm. Your Magician cannot see her, allowing her to sneak by and strike at her real target...you Life Points." Her lips were tilted in a victorious smirk as Yami realised his _'Mirror Force'_ was useless against the quick footed Assassin. He watched with annoyance as the red head marked his Life Points down to _'800'._

"Are you done?" The baritone comment gave no indication of the Spirit current ire. Outwards he was as calm and collected as he normally appeared, belaying none of the nervousness that her powerful move had stirred up. She was a hell of a Duelist, that was for sure. It was rare for him to be blindsided like that.

 _'I'm so sorry Yami.'_

 _'It's alright Partner, this duel is far from over.'_

"Not yet, don't get your royal panties in a twist. It's not the first time you've been kicked in the teeth." Yami's narrowed his eyes dangerously at her, wondering again at the meaning of her words, and glared harshly but said nothing else as she looked over her cards again, "I'll play _'Pot of Greed'_ to draw two new cards."

As she looked over the new cards, an expression of glee filled her face and she grinned across the table at him.

"Time for me to finish this King. Good game." Yami didn't allow himself to blink, merely smirked, certain she was bluffing to throw him off his game.

"Oh...and how do you purposed to do that?"

She flipped one of the new cards she'd drawn and reveled the image to him. Yugi yelped in shock and Yami could only stare blankly, his heart sinking and a cold flood of ice chilling his blood, "I play the magic card _'Wound Reflection'._ Do you have any responses?"

He stared at the table, shock radiating through his system. _'Wound Reflection'_ was an extremely dangerous card, thus was not used often because of that. It affected all players equally, showing no favoritism. At the end of each players turn, any damage taken to their Life Points was dealt a second time. As Yami had just taken 2200 points of damage, when she finished her turn, he would be hit with another 2200...which meant...

"I end my turn."

He'd...lost...?

Stunned silence echoed in his mind as Yugi reeled alongside him. Together, the two of them had face immeasurable challenges, battled through darkness and terror and emerged stronger on the other side. And aside from the extremely rare cases, they'd never faltered. Yami couldn't believe it, almost didn't believe it. After all they'd been through so far, protecting the Puzzle from the sadistic Spirit of the Millennium Ring, raging, psychotic lunatics, power hunger millionaires, virtual worlds and burning buildings...Yami had failed against a mere girl?

His vision was stuck on the table, focusing on nothing. Such was his shock that he didn't see the girl gather her belongings, deck and Duel Disk and rise from the table. He didn't see anything till the flapping of her long white scarf caught the air and jolted him from his stupor. Yami looked up at her, still not quite able to make himself move. She walked to his side and stared straight ahead before speaking. Her tone was almost soothing enough to take the sting out of the situation,

"Don't dwell on it...you always lose the first one to me."

Yami jerked in shock, eyes flying to meet hers. Standing so suddenly the chair fell backwards, he spun towards her with rage filling his face and Shadow magic coiling in his blood, "What do you mean! Who are you!"

The mystery girl started to walk backwards at his near violent action, clucking her tongue and waving a finger in the air, a slightly taunting tone taking over,

"Ah-ah-ah...that wasn't part of the deal King, remember."

He snarled darkly, moving to follow her, intending to rip the answers her emerald eyes held by any means necessary. Yugi stepped in quickly as his Dark's anger boiled to the surface, ' _Yami! You can't hurt her, it isn't right!'_ The amnesic Pharaoh's forward motion was paused as Yugi suddenly jumped in front of him in Spirit form, arms outstretched to protect the girl. At the same moment, a new female voice broke through the haze his mind had taken.

"Sir? Are you covering the young ladies tab?" His head snapped back to look at the waitress behind him. The mistake was realised instantly and Yami jerked his head back around in synchronisation with Spirit Yugi as they looked for the girl.

Gone...

She'd vanished again, disappeared into the crowds without a trace. Yami scanned frantically, looking for the flaming color of her hair...nothing...no indication she'd ever been in the square. He spat out a rare curse, startling the waitress but she recovered quickly, accustom to dealing with difficult customers.

"No need to be rude Sir. You are paying the bill then?"

Taking in a deep breath, he turned back to the table, forcing himself to calm down and looked to the server, "My apologises Miss...and yes, this one is on me." He pulled out Yugi's wallet from his jacket pocket.

* * *

"What'da mean...disappeared?"

Sprawled out on the living room floor of his home _(and trying very hard to ignore his aching body),_ Yugi rested his chin in his palm as his three closest friend questioned the recent events he'd just debriefed them on. Shortly after leaving the café, they'd been pulled into a deadly duel with another of Marik's Rare Hunters, the failed stage Magician, Arkana. Yami and him had both still been shaken from what had happened with the girl, but had quickly been forced to bounce back when they'd been shackled to the center ring with a Dark Energy Disc inching closer and closer.

The man's brutal treatment of his monsters reminded both males of the girls gentle thanks to her creatures...her willingness to place herself before them as a shield. Both had been thoroughly disgusted by Akana acts and weren't surprised when his own deck turned on him, empowering their _'Dark Magician Girl'_ , due to Akana's callused and heartless sacrifice of his own _'Dark Magician'_.

While Yami would have been happy to let the man be cast to the Shadow Realm, Yugi's tender nature wouldn't allow it and he'd saved him, tackling him to the ground. With the new knowledge that Marik knew of the Pharaoh's past life, with the history supposedly inked on his back, their quest to find the man grew even more necessary. Something else had also been learned...Marik had already said that the rules of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle stated that he needed to defeat him in a duel to earn the Pharaoh's great power. Yami had said he felt it didn't matter what type of duel it was, a loss was all that was needed. And Marik still thought the Pharaoh was undefeated, warning the pair to _"Beware of the Quiet One."_

Which meant the girl wasn't working for him.

"I mean, I looked away for an instant and she disappeared...Again." Yugi looked over at Joey's skeptical expression from where he sat on the couch. Next to him, Tristan was the one who replied,

"Seriously, Dude? You'll belive that an evil Spirit possessed Ryou and tried to kill me to inhabit Kaiba's brothers body, but a vanishing girl gets that look? Can we say hypocrite?"

Joey's face relaxed and he rubbed his neck, "Okay, fair point. So...you saw dis girl at the café, talked a bit with her, bought her coffee, and then she just vanished?" Yugi nodded in confirmation.

Neither Yami nor him wanted to admit that they'd dueled and lost to her _(Yami because of his prideful nature and Yugi because he didn't think it mattered)._ Plus, given the levels of danger, keeping something like that secret was a probably good plan. What mattered more was the conversation they'd had during their meetting. The hidden tone beneath certain phrases, the gleam in her eyes when she'd looked at Yami across the table. She knew something about the Spirit of the Puzzle, that much was obvious. Now they just had to figure out what.

Much easier said than done.

"So...you think she knows something about the Spirit, Yugi?" Tea was sitting in rooms recliner, blue eyes looking over him with great concern, "How can you be so sure, you don't even know her name."

Yugi sighed a little and buried his head in his arms, trying really hard not to let the pounding headache assaulting him affect his Other half. He didn't succeed and Yami ran his presence through the young boys mind, dulling the ache slightly. _'Thanks.'_

 _'Of course.'_

"It's what she said, how she acted, how she looked at him. Like there was some big secret she knew and was dangling just out of reach. And he feels like he knows her too, he just can't remember anything. I'm certain she has some connection to Yami's forgotten past, I just don't know what it is."

Tea leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and frowned in thought, "Maybe she's with Ishizu. I mean, Marik's got his gang of thugs running around, maybe she gathered some followers too."

"Dat could be it. Maybe she's hanging around ta help you out, keeping an eye out in case you run into something really deadly."

Yugi lifted his head, a rare frown on his lips, "More deadly than spinning discs of black magic that trap your mind in an parallel dimension filled with monsters?"

"Why are you two ganging up on me!" The loud exclamation from the blond male lighten the dark mood and made them all laugh a little as Joey glared outward in offence. The blond had won his match against the conniving Weevil Underwood, even though the little bug had tried to sabotage Joey's deck. Yugi felt a little better as the joyful sound faded from the room,

"I thought about that. But Ishizu is one of the Tomb Keepers. They supposed to serve the Pharaoh...you know...minus Marik. If the girl was working for Ishizu, I think she'd behave differently. More...respectfully."

"She mouthed off to him?"

"Well no...not exactly. I mean, she didn't flat out insult him, she just...I think she was sort of flirting with him, teasing him...you know. Kinda like how Mai acted in Duelist Kingdom. Plus she's always calling him _'King'_...and I don't think its cause of title Pegasus gave me."

Tea frowned at that and Yugi tried to ignore it. He'd had a suspicion for a while that his childhood friend might have a crush on the more confident, assertive side of him, but he'd chosen to ignore it. And right now, Yugi's head was wrapped around the riddle of the red head.

Yami chose not to comment at Yugi's explanation, merely lingering nearby and pushing his headache to the side. So far, speaking everything out loud and brainstorming with his friends wasn't helping bring any answers up. But he felt better now that they knew, more support in this was always better.

"Do yah think she's a good Duelist? I mean, we're getting down ta the last 3 days of Battle City. Those that made it dis far are getting ta be the best of the best. She might get knocked out before we find her again." Joey looked upset by that thought, if for no other reason than the girls absence from the city would affect his friends peace of mind. But it needed to be said, getting hope built up to only have it torn down was really painful. He knew from personal experience.

Yugi shook his head, smiling brightly in his normal fashion, "I have a strong feeling she won't get knocked out that easily." Yami grumbled wordlessly in the back of his mind and the young boy stifled a giggle in his arm at the surly Spirit. He'd be hearing about this for weeks, he just knew it.

Tristan sighed a bit, "Well...I'm bringing Serenity to the city tomorrow, so I can't help find this vanishing chick. I mean, I look around once we get there, but I promised her I'd show her Joey's battles when her bandages came off."

The blond in question smiled fondly, nodding to his dark haired friend, "I really appreciate dat Tristan. Thanks for looking out for her."

"My pleasure."

Tea looked around, "Well, I'm not doing anything, so I can look for her. Maybe she'll be more willing to talk to another girl, open up a bit more."

Yugi smiled at the brunette, "That's would be great Tea. And Joey, you'll keep an eye out for her?"

"You got it, Yuug."

With the day done, Yugi prepared for bed. Joey opted to spend the night and the young boy brought down spare blankets and a pillow so the blond could crash on the couch. It wasn't uncommon for his friends to randomly sleep over, he had at least one change of clothes in the house for all of them. And Yugi suspected Joey stayed over sometimes to get away from his own house. Tristan never said anything, but Yugi got the feeling Joey's home wasn't a very friendly place to be.

Breakfast the next day was a rapid affair. Both Duelist ate fast and headed out, splitting apart and beginning their search. Several fruitless hours later, Yugi stood by the river, disappointment and frustration churning in his gut.

"Feels like we've looked all over the damn city. Where the hell could she be?"

 _'Don't curse Yugi, it undignified.'_ Yami appeared in Spirit form beside the young boy, looking out at the blue water.

The short boy slumped his shoulders and sighed, "Sorry...I'm just...I really want to find this girl...find out what she knows about you."

 _'You want to help me and I can't express how honored I am by that. But exhausting yourself helps no one. Besides...I don't think the girl will be found until she wants to be found.'_

"Yah, you might be righ...Whoa!" Yugi yelped in shock, jumping backwards when a bald pale man suddenly leapt over the artificial bank and landed on the ground in front of him. With the glowing _'Eye of Wdjat'_ on his forehead,

"Ooohhh boy...here we go again..." he muttered before switching places with Yami.

The duel with the _'Quiet One'_ began hard and got no easier with time. With Marik's dark voice echoing from the puppets lips, the taunting knowledge that the Rare Hunter carried the power of an _'Egyptian God Card'_ in his deck and the careful strategy the mind slave employed, Yami felt fatigue and dread drag at his system like an anchor. He managed to keep his opponent from having three monsters on the field for a time, which is what Marik needed to summon the Divine God Beast, but the cost of resources he burned through was adding up.

When the _'Nightmare Steelcage'_ was activated _,_ freezing his monsters abilities to destroy the slime tokens being created, his stomach dropped and he stopped breathing. The summoning of _'Slifer the Sky Dragon'_ shook the very heavens and ripped open veins of dark magic all around him that threatened to smother him. Horror gripped the Pharaoh's heart as the coiling, serpent dove to the earth, its voice screaming thunder that left him deaf and blind, vision only able to see the massive God made flesh, come to devour his very soul.

Yugi had whimpered in terror at the sight but stood strong beside him. With his support, Yami faced _'Slifer the Sky Dragon',_ despite the overwhelming power slicing through the air. The aura of the Beast was beyond massive, stretching out beyond the city. He felt like a tank was sitting on his chest, crushing every bone in his body and squeezing the life from him, drop by drop. No instinctive use of Shadow magic on his part had ever compared to this, he was an infant facing a tidal wave, about to be swept away.

Now he'd just discovered the God's special ability to lower his summoned monsters ATK points with its second mouth. The _'Quiet One'_ had a five card combo out, one that Yami didn't know how to break through. The cackling from the slave of Marik chilled his blood,

 _"Do you see Pharaoh! Do you see how pitiful you're power is to mine! Before the might of my Egyptian God... **YOU ARE NOTHING!** "_

Distress swept him, suffocated him, dragging him to the depths of anguish. He couldn't defeat this force...this embodiment of omnipotence. His legs trembled and Yami dropped to one knee, his left arm sagging to the side. Yugi yelled to him, panic shrieking through his voice, unheard by the Pharaoh.

 _'We can't give up! We can't! Everyone's counting on us! Yami! Yami!'_ He appeared in Spirit form next to his Other, who was looking up at the God with shaking eyes, paralyzed and stunned, on the verge of surrender. Yugi tried to yank him back to his feet, but his hands pasted straight through, **_'YAMI! GET UP! PLEASE GET UP!'_**

 _"HAHAHAHAHA! It's useless Pharaoh! Give up now! Place your hand over your deck! Surrender to me and I will spare the boys life!"_

The offer reached his ears and lingered like a lifeline. Despair overwhelmed him, suffocating him, drawing him further into himself. _Yugi_...his friend...his brother...the one who stood by him...supported him...loved him...he had to protect that innocent soul...even at the cost of his own. His arm trembled as he raised his Duel Disc, finger shaking as he moved them slowly towards his deck. It was for the best... _Goodbye Yugi._

"Now there's a sight I thought I would never see."

The new voice, familiar to him, penetrated the choking haze. Slowly he turned his head towards the sound, hearing his opponent grunt in confusion even as his fingers crept towards his deck.

"Its you..."

She stood on the edge of the bank, malachite orbs staring down at him. Her attire hadn't changed and the howling wind snapped the white scarf back and forth behind her like an angry, lashing tail. Her Duel Disc was held downwards and her right hand was on her hip. Her feet were planted and her shoulders were pulled proudly back. She looked...powerful...undaunted...and her presence drove Yami further down.

 _This is why I met her...why she's here...it was meant to prepare me for this...I see that now..._ His black thoughts spiral ever deeper and he almost touched his deck before her voice made him pause.

"Tell me something. Are you not a King?"

His burgundy eyes locked with hers like a laser. Despite the mammoth Dragon above, her gaze never faltered, pulling at him. Yami's voice failed...he couldn't answer. Her jeweled circles exploded with the flames he'd briefly seen before, a raging inferno threating to consume all in its path.

"ANSWER ME! Are you not a King?!" Her bellow made his frozen body twitch, his fingers moving away from his deck and he stuttered a response, the weakness in his tone bringing a feeling of shame to him,

"I-I am..."

She snarled back in rage, "I can't hear you!"

Yami felt his heart thump once against his chest, the same sensation he felt when he'd first seen her. He firmed his voice slightly, raising his head higher, feeling a section of solid ground beginning to feebly form under his feet.

"I Am."

She glared down at him, fire burning so brightly from her eyes Yami swore he could feel the heat scorching his skin, warming the bone-chilling cold that had gripped him, "A King only kneels to those he finds worthy. Tell me..."

She flung out her right arm and pointed to the smirking opponent opposite of him, making him look at the slave Marik worked through,

"Do you consider that creature worthy? Do you intend to give him your crown?"

Her words pierced his consciousness and he once again heard the voice of his partner, crying frantically, trying to reach him. _' **NO!** We will not bow! We will not relent! Yami! I'm here with you! We can win this together! Yami! Can you hear me! Yami! Yami!'_

 _'Yu-Yugi...I hear you...I'm here...Partner...'_ Even in this moment, Yugi belived...belived they could still win, still triumph. Hope began to bloom in his chest and stated pushing away the darkness,

"Answer me!"

"Never..." Yami growled out,

"I can't hear you!"

" **NEVER!** " He roared to the girl, eyes snapping back to meet her gaze again as he jerked his hand away from his deck. A tiny smirk crept to her lips and she inclined her head to him,

"Then stand, King..." She paused afterwards before a snarl twisted her mouth and she stepped forward, voice climbing with power and purpose,

 **"STAND AND FIGHT!"**

Yami was barely aware of the tightening of his muscles, but the next instant he was on his feet and facing Marik again. He turned his head towards the bank, fully expecting to find her gone again.

She wasn't...the girl stood strong and proud, looking down at him with a small smile now gracing her lips. Another figure appeared, the tall form of his rival, Seto Kaiba. Unlike the girl, the CEO stared spellbound at the Egyptian God before turning to look at him,

"Motu...You don't get to lose to anyone except me! Now! Show me what your really made of!"

With his rival challenging his skills and the girl watching him expectantly, Yami re-engaged in his duel, renewed and more determined than ever. He barely won, employing the use of _'Brain Control'_ and _'Buster Blader'._ When the fleshy puppet Marik used drew his last card, _'Slifer the Sky Dragon'_ howled in agony and collapsed to the ground, evaporating with the rank smell of burning skin. The threat of harm to his friends that Marik left behind before banishing his slaves mind was foremost in the pairs head.

Yami panted as the adrenaline started to fade and his muscles quivered, making him want to take a knee again. He resisted the urge. _Kings kneel only for the worthy_...the girls words echoed in his mind. Glancing up at the bank, he was unsurprised to find her gone, though Kaiba and Mokuba were by the fallen Rare Hunter, fishing through his cards.

She'd appeared just when he'd given up, right as he was about to forfeit the match...and had pulled him back from the edge. That sealed the suspicion...she was trying to help him...he just wished he knew why and what she was working towards. The younger Kaiba presented him with the Egyptian God Card as the rules of Battle City decreed.

Kaiba had immediately challenged him, intending to take that hard won card. Yami had shoved his soul deep fatigue aside and demanded to see to his friends safety first. What occurred next pushed the pair beyond their limits. There was no time to rest between battling the partnered Rare Hunters, Lumis and Umbra. He was lucky enough to know Kaiba's strategies that the two had worked well together. When Kaiba had summoned _'Obelisk, the Tormentor',_ the duel had been over. The trench coat teen had shoved the locator cards into his hand right before his company had reported that Mokuba had been kidnapped.

Tea and Joey missing, Mokuba was kidnapped and the pair was being harassed at every turn. When Kaiba's brother had miraculously showed up, reporting that Tea had enabled his escape by compromising hers, Kaiba was along for the ride to repay a debt. Yami and Yugi didn't care either way, they needed to find their friends. The duel by the peer against a possessed Joey nearly broke them both. Yugi gave his all and true to his courageous heart, broke the control Marik had over him even as he was dragged into the frigid water.

It had been beyond exhausting. Kaiba had humphed and left afterwards, stating he would take Yugi's God Card in the finals. By the time Yugi dragged his body home, supported part way by Tristan and Duke, he'd been awake for over 24 hours, hadn't eaten in 16, competed in 3 different Duels that had nearly killed him, nearly lost a section of his Puzzle forever and almost drown in the ocean...The only reason Yugi was able to pull it all off was due to Yami's immense willpower, minor control over magic and their combine ability to switch control. But **Holy Hell** it ever cost them!

Yugi stumbled to his room with Tristan's help. The taller man watched as Yugi collapsed onto the bed, more unconscious than conscious. Given the hell his friend had just been through, Tristan was stunned the guy was still able to walk. Pulling off his boots and lifting Yugi's head to remove the Puzzle and set it aside, he repositioned Yugi on the bed and headed out, turning off the light as he went.

As Yami started to retreat to his Soul Room, barley able to move himself, a sudden curse from Yugi made him bust out laughing despite the pain the day had brought,

"Bloody Hell! We still don't know her damn name!"


	2. What's in a Name

There were days Yugi _**really** _wished he didn't have to get out of bed. This was one of them.

When he'd woken up after the events of the pervious day, _(after sleeping for almost 13 hours),_ he'd truly have given almost anything to have been able to go back to dreamland.

He _**hurt** _everywhere!

A cooling wave flowed over him and Yugi almost cried at the relief the tingling magic brought to his throbbing body. Standing over him in Spirit form, Yami's eyes were narrowed in concentration as his hands hovered over the smaller boy, golden light seeping from the Millennium Puzzle on the bedside table. The Pharaoh's use of the mystical power of the item was instinctive as best, he didn't know many spells or curses like the Spirit of the Ring or Maximillion Pegasus.

But he knew how to use minor healing magic, which was extremely useful during Shadow Games. And to ease the discomfort of his small friend.

"God that feels good...Thanks Yami...wouldn't be able to move for a week..." Yugi mumbled, face buried in his pillow, the words muffed and hard to hear. Yami smiled to himself and continued the treatment, able to manipulate the magic easier now that the spell was active,

 _'If I could erase every pain and soreness from your body, I would Yugi. Are you sure you don't want to rest more? I can step in if you need more time to recover.'_ Participating in one Shadow Game was draining on his ancient soul, never mind to the teenagers resources. And they'd both been forced into multiple dark duels in a very short period of time. Yugi was incredibly strong, he knew that, but his protective nature still demanded he try to shield the boy.

Waiting till the ghosting sensation of flowing air had faded from his skin, Yugi managed to lift his head up and not scream in agony, "No, its fine...I'll be alright. Besides...I need to pack a travel bag for the semi-finals. The Locator Cards data said to bring some personal belongings...And we need to meet up with the gang to get to the rendezvous location tonight...and Joey mentioned that Ryou is in the hospital from some sort of attack...and Marik is still missing in action...and..."

 _'Enough, Yugi. You're tensing up your muscles again.'_ A groan rolled from the prone boy as Yami called a bit more magic to his hands and forced it into his host, _'I'm worried as well, Partner. No matter how many steps forward we take, it always seems something is trying to drag us back. But you can't obsess over it, you'll only drain yourself. We are all alive...battered, bruised and wounded, but still alive. In the end that's what matters. Marik does not have our Puzzle and so long as we keep it out of his grasp, his plans will fail.'_

Finally willing to risk movement, Yugi gingerly rolled to his back. The chronic ache was massively less now and he slowly climbed to his feet, wincing hard when a stab jolted through his skull before fading. He was still in his clothes from the night before and the salt crusted uniform was incredibly uncomfortable now. But Yugi ignored it as he rolled his shoulder and started to stretch his body,

"I know, I know...I'm beyond happy that everyone is alright. But this is...really, **really** scary Yami. At least in Duelist Kingdom, you and I were usually the only targets. Marik doesn't have any morals like Pegasus does. What if next time..."

 _'There will not be a next time Yugi, I will not allow it. Our friends will be kept safe, you have my word.'_

The steely confidence in the Spirits deep voice lightened Yugi's heart. The boy nodded and started to peel off his ruined clothes. He really needed a shower. As the hot water loosened his bunched muscles further, making his radical hair dip from the weight, Yugi carried on his conversation with Yami, _'Do you think the girl will be at the finals?'_

 _'There is no doubt in my mind that she will be. She has a goal in mind...her own plans to carry out. I sorely wish I could remember her. There are so many questions surrounding her, its very annoying.'_

Yugi smirked a bit. That was Yami's terminology for _'pissing him off',_ though he would never say such words. The Spirit was quite proper in his speech, rarely using vulgar terms unless really pushed. And the impish boy would never let such a golden opportunity pass by,

 _'So, next you're taking her out to dinner right?'_

 _'Why would I do that?'_

 _'That's typically the pattern for a second date...seeing as you already had coffee with her. Usually it end with a kiss too.'_ Yugi laughed out loud at the sputtering of his partner and squeezed a dollop of shampoo into his palm.

* * *

Moving around all day had made Yugi feel a ton better. His Grandpa had looked at him with worried eyes when he'd descended the stairs. He knew better than most that trials such as these were something that needed to be worked through no matter what, but he was still a parent. Yami had taken over briefly, swearing to Solomon that he would keep Yugi safe. The smaller boy was pretty sure that was the only reason he'd been allowed to leave the house with his packed travel suitcase and meet up with his friends. The rendezvous location was a pre-existing construction site that Kaiba Corp owned and the finalists were supposed to be there at 6:00pm.

Mai had offered her car to transport luggage and parked the sporty vehicle on the street outside the front door of the Kame Game Shop. All members of the group were there, including Duke Devlin and Joey's younger sister, Serenity. She popped the truck and bags started to be loaded with a smattering of conversation.

When Mai had nearly run over the young girl and Tristan, her heart had nearly stopped. Then started racing when Tristan had explained the pair was being chased by some whack-job cultist gang trying to use the young girl to hurt Joey and Yugi. A year ago, she would have cast the pair aside and kept going, her self centered attitude driving her. Not that Mai didn't truly love herself, but the events of Duelist Kingdom...the offer to have more than just her _'Harpie Ladies'_ as company...it was really nice.

Weirdness surrounded the young champion, Yugi, and his friends through him. She couldn't deny that. In Duelist Kingdom, she'd tried like hell to pass off the strange events as Duel Drama. But it lingered in her head, some deep part of her couldn't ignore that something odd and unnatural had happened. Then there was Joey. Her eyes past over the tall blonde boy. Thick-headed, stubborn, loud and immature...everything she avoided in a man. But for reason she didn't understand, he never left her mind after Duelist Kingdom.

Pushing the thought away, she looked over the group, "Alright...who's riding with me? I can't take everyone, so some of you are hoofing it."

"I'll walk, I need the exercise." Yugi rolled his shoulders again after heaving his suitcase into the truck. Moving around really was helping a lot.

"You ain't walking along, Yuug. Not after everything dats happened. I'll go with ya."

Serenity raised her hand up almost bashfully, "Can I join you Mai? I'd like to get to know you more, you seem really cool" The young girl now able to see fully for the first time in over 2 years looked at her older brother with pleading eyes, "Please Joey..."

Joey looked down at his sister, pride and protectiveness warring in his head. His sister was a Wheeler, they were bred to be tough. She'd shown that when she'd dove headfirst into the ocean to unlock his shackles when Marik's twisted version of a Duel had gone south. That didn't mean he felt any better letting her out of his sights. He glanced at Mai briefly.

Seeing her again had stirred up a lot of emotions he'd thought he'd buried. Yah, he'd had a crush on her in Duelist Kingdom. He was pretty sure every member of the male species could claim that. But he thought he'd gotten over it, pushed it aside and thought of her more as a rival Duelist and a friend. But after the blonde women had helped his sister _(and had yet to ask for any composition, much to Joey's surprise),_ the lingering attraction he'd had was back in full swing...and this time it wasn't fading away.

Joey rubbed the back of his head, "Dat ain't fair Serenity, you know I can't say _'No'_ ta those eyes...Alright...You can ride with Mai..." Tristan quickly jumped forward at the presented opportunity _(and of course to help his best friend),_

"I'll go with her Joey...you know...to put your mind at ease."

"Not without me you won't." Duke wasn't about to give up on trying to gain Serenity's attention. The girl was absolutely gorgeous and a sweetheart. He was sure he could win her attention with time. Tristan and Duke almost broke into a fist fight over who would accompany the two girls till Mai had snapped out that she had room for them both. Joey glared daggers at the two competing male and promptly told the purple clad blonde,

"Kick'em in da balls if they touch mah sister, Mai!"

That had started a whole other argument bordering on the physical before Tea had dragged both Duke and Tristan away by their ears and Mai had banished Joey with a French manicured finger. Serenity had looked adorably confused and innocent during the whole thing, but Joey wondered if she was secretly enjoying the warring men squabbling for her attention. Girls were strange that way. And his sister was rapidly becoming a women, much as he wanted to deny it.

So now Joey was walking to the site with Tea and Yugi. Overall, the humorous organisation had lifted all their spirits a little. With so much stress and negativity around, it was nice to be able to chuckle about normal, teenage things. The summer heat was still lingering in the air with the mild scent of crisp leaves and rich earth. For a few minutes, the trio was able to enjoy themselves and pretend there wasn't a psychotic mad man out to get them, dark magic didn't exist and their biggest worry was which pizza joint to eat at.

It was nice and made Yugi think back to the girl's words at the café. He really needed to talk to the red-head. Meeting up with the second group about 2 blocks outside of the zone, they'd all grabbed their stuff from the cars truck. Joey shouldered his duffle bag and turned, surprised to see Mai right behind him with a small smile and sparkling eyes. He swallowed a little and asked hesitantly, trying like hell to slow his pounding heart,

"Whad'yah want?"

Turns out she wanted a strong back to lug her two very large suitcases to the rendezvous point. And Joey got suckered into hauling them when she'd leaned forward and whispered softly in his ear, breath ghosting the sensitive skin and making him shiver. The girl was a manipulative tease, flaunting her body proudly and unafraid of her own sexuality. Which he supposed made sense, seeing as she was 19 to his 17. She had a lot more experience at life than him as a high school student.

Mai was sauntering along, smiling at her success. She'd gotten into the Battle City Finals! That wasn't anything to scoff at. There weren't a lot of women Duelist around, the league was primarily male based. So she'd always had to fight that much harder to gain respect. This time, she intended to win! Glancing over at her new pack mule, Mai let her smirk climb a bit higher. Maybe she'd have some fun with Joey Wheeler during this tournament. That might make it easier to forget about him.

The sound of squealing tire broke her train of thought as the wall to her right exploded outwards and a black limo burst through. Mai shrieked in response, leaping backwards and plowing straight into Joey, who let go of his cargo to wrap his arms around her waist in surprise. The blonde girl felt her heart pick up, and not just because she'd nearly been run over. He was surprisingly warm, with a firm chest and toned muscles. Had the man been working out?

"Did you enjoy my entrance Sweetie?" The unknown male voice had everyone turning to look at the tuxedo clad male stepping out of the slick car. The rest of the group quickly ran over to the two, a chorus of concerned voices filling the air sounding

The arm that were thicker than she remembered tighten for a moment before she realised what was happening and pushed him away. He let go willingly. Mai wasn't sure why she was disappointed about that. She turned to see who the hell had just tried to kill her, intending to rip a strip off and chew on it. A sweet smelling bouquet of fresh red roses met her gaze.

"I've come back for you Mai, just like you told me too." The fair skinned women looked blankly at the male across from her. Joey's voice was excited and bordered on hero worship,

"Hey! You're da movie star Jean Claude Magnum, the one in da new Ninja flick that's coming out. I'm a huge fan." A massive grin split his face and stars practically danced in his eyes, "Any chance I can get your autograph?"

Mai interrupted whatever reply Jean would have said by cuffing Joey in the back of the head before turning to the flower holding man, "Sorry Hon, but you've got the wrong girl."

An epic argument followed between Jean Claude Magnum and Mai, choired by her group of friends. Joey's admiration quickly evaporated when he realized what a massive jerk the star really was. When the crew cut blonde challenged Mai to a duel for her hand in marriage and her spot in the Battle City Finals, protests aboard erupted.

"Mai! You can't risk your placing over something like this!"

"Joey's right Mai, its not worth it."

"Let's just leave, we're going to risk being late to the meeting point as is."

Mai liked the idea of having friends. It made her life feel more...complete. But she was among the few female Duelist in the world. And the girls had to prove themselves. Besides she'd beaten this joker before, doing it again should be easy. In typical, Hollywood fashion, Jean lit up the street with huge spotlights and flourished himself with overdramatic poses,

"Ready to rename yourself Miss Mai Magnum, Sugerlips?"

"In your dreams, Ninja Boy."

Magnum drew his first card. He then summoned _'Ninja Commander Ikusa' (700/700)_ in Attack Position. Mai watched almost bored for a moment before a second uniform clad human appeared on the field. Magnum laughed, "The special effect of _'Ninja Commander Ikusa'_ allows me to summon _'Ninja Soldier Katana'_ (400/400) from my hand in Attack Position. Not looking good for you, Sweetheart."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, you B-movie reject. You monsters are second rate and won't be around for very long, just like you." Mai drew her own card and smirk at what she saw. From behind her she briefly heard Serenity talking to Joey.

"Mai's really cool, I'd like to be like her someday. She doesn't let anyone push her around." Mai felt rather flattered by the compliment till Joey _(typically)_ ruined the moment, "I guess she's cool if you think having a loud mouth and being mean spirited is cool."

The blonde pushed back her irritation. The man was infuriating, she didn't know why she even liked him! "Now I'll summon my _'Amazon Swordswoman' (1500/1600)_ in attack mode." The bulky female made Mai's confidence rise, "Destroy his _'Ninja Soldier Katana'"_

A quick slash and Magnum's Life Points were down to _'2900'._ A cheer erupted and Mai smiled to herself. She'd always thought having people on the sides would be a distraction. It was surprisingly comforting, sensing everyone offering their aid and support during her duel. The battle continued on. Magnum had some interesting tricks, including using a Trap Card that stopped her _'Cyber Harpie'_ from attacking and lifting his _'Ninja Master Shogun'_ into the air so it could attack her Life Points directly. But he'd made the fatal mistake of leaving his own Life Points open.

Her Harpies sliced through what remained of Magnum's Life Points with ease and the man gaped across the field at her. Mai tossed her hair back confidently, "Sorry Slick, you lose. Now beat it, I'm on my way to the finals."

"Dat's the Mai I know, way to stick it to him!" Despite her earlier irritation, Mai found herself smiling at the joyful whoop from the thick headed blond. He really was a knucklehead. A surprised cry went up from Yugi.

"The Ninja Kite is still active!" Heads looked to the sky just as Mai felt rough hemp rope encircle her exposed skin before her feet where yanked from the ground. Her heart leapt into her throat as she screamed in fear, stomach dropping as cool air whipped around her. And she was suddenly looking down...way down...oh man that was a long way down.

Magnum laughed almost manically, if it hadn't sounded so falsely made, "Well then! If I can't beat you into submission, I'll just have to settle for taking you by force." And with that, he jumped back into his limo and drove after the flying device holding Mai.

On the ground below, Joey started running frantically, hearing his friends join in behind him, " **MAI! MAI!** Hang on, we're coming!"

His heart pounded in his chest at the sight of the women struggling in the arms of whatever thug Magnum had hire for this gig. So help him God, if she was hurt because the man couldn't take ' _No'_ as an answer, Joey was going to make him forever remember what his fist looked like by permanently indenting the print in his face! Far above, said women in question fought like hell against the one holding her, hearing curses from the costumed man,

"Lady, stop! I'm losing my grip, you're going to..."

"Shut up! Put me down!"

And down she went...extremely suddenly! Mai screamed in terror as gravity kicked in, pulling her towards the ground. She flailed and by some miracle of God above, her upper torso landed on an outward flagpole of the building. She slipped quickly, gripping the slick metal with her hand, knuckles white and adrenaline flowing so heavily in her system she could taste it on her tongue. She won't be able to hold on much longer!

"MAI!" She managed to look down. Oh, wow...Joey looked incredibly small from her position. His arms were spread wide as he looked up at her with pleading eyes, "JUMP!"

" **ARE YOU NUTS!** "

"I'll catch you Mai! I swear I will!" It didn't seem like she had much of a choice. Her hand were slipping as it was. Praying she wasn't about to die and putting her faith in a man that might mean more to her than she was willing to admit, Mai Valentine let go.

There is sometimes a brief moment in terrifying situations were one feels almost peaceful, accepting of the fact that danger is around and injure will likely occur. Mai didn't feel this. What she did feel was the sudden impact of hitting another human and crashing to the ground on top of him, hearing a pained yelp and whoosh of air. Despite Joey's best efforts, her knees hit the asphalt, scrapping the skin raw, _Ouch...well, its going to be the knee high boots for a while._

Pushing herself off the prone teen, Mai shook his shoulders, hoping he wasn't dead. Magnum was suddenly in front of her, offering a hand up. She slapped away the offending appendage, snarling in rage. The movie star seemed to finally get the hint and back away, particularly when the rest of the group showed up and Tristan and Duke stepped in front of the pair protectively.

Joey had the wind knocked out of him when Mai had landed on him and cracked his head off the street, leaving him fuzzy and delirious for a few minutes. When he came too, it was to the sight of a pair of violet eyes and a grateful smile. He started to smile back despite the ache and let the purple clothed girl help him to his feet. She was safe. The relief almost knocked him back off his feet. He was beyond happy Mai was okay, but still...

"Can we catch a damn break here! Seriously...dis is getting fucking stupid!"

He was still pissed off at the situation. Once Magnum had left the scene, they'd gathered up their belongings again and kept moving towards the rendezvous point. Joey's good mood had been thoroughly crushed by the stun man's little trick. He glanced over Mai again as they started walking once more, checking the blonde's skin for more marks. She was sporting a few scrapes from the fall, but didn't have any major injuries. Joey was still trying to slow down his frantic beating heart that had dropped to his toes when he'd seen the women falling through the air.

He was trying to hide the fear still thrumming through his blood. For only having known Mai for a short period of time, the fashion obsessed women always seemed to be lingering in the back of his mind. She was beautiful and she knew it, flaunting her body proudly and without shame. And Joey found himself part of the flood of males that flocked to her, drawn in by her smoky voice and teasing smile. He tighten his grip on her suitcases and kept walking.

"Mind your tongue, Joseph Wheeler, this isn't a street brawl." Mai's sharp tone only deepened the Duelists ire,

"What'd are you, mah Mother!"

"Guys, don't fight! You'll have time for that in the semi-finals." Yugi was ever the peacekeeper, settling the two hot-heads into irritated grumbles as the group kept moving.

* * *

As they approached the meeting point _(dragging their luggage along),_ the lights from the city faded and Yugi had to walk more carefully as shadows covered more of the area. The construction site was shut down for the night, no one was around. Large piles of lumber, metal and piping filled the site. Construction equipment was quietly sitting along the edges, waiting for daylight to be used. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the teen spotted something strange...two spot of white among the creeping murkiness.

"Ryou?" Tristan's startled voice put an end to the conversations everyone had been having, "What the hell man! Why aren't you still in the hospital?"

The albino boy smiled brightly and waved as the group approached, "Hello everyone! I'm glad you made it."

Yugi jogged up with everyone else, eyes scanning the young British boy in concern, "Ryou...I thought you got really badly hurt? Why are you here? How are you here?"

 _'Something is wrong, Partner. I sense dark forces at work.'_

From beside the smiling boy, Marik _(calling himself Namu for the time),_ forced a friendly smile, "Hello again Joey, Tea. Have you been well?"

"Been better Namu, thanks for asking. Seriously Ryou, you shouldn't be here." Tea glanced over at the amethyst eyed boy that had carried a bleeding Ryou to the hospital with them, before refocusing on her friend. She frowned deeply, not sure what to make. Ryou should still be resting, Solomon had stayed at the hospital with him. Why was he hear. Something seemed off, a tingling in the air that made the hair on her arms stand up.

Marik resisted the urge to smirk at the brunette girls cluelessness. She had no idea who he was, still believing him to be the kind-hearted man who'd helped her friend. This was excellent. Summoning the Millennium Rod's magic, he touched the mind of the entity within the young boy. _'Continue to string them along, Ring Spirit. It will further my plans and weaken the Pharaoh more.'_

 _'Do no presume to order me around, Boy! I agreed to your deal and I will hold to it. And I will complete it my way.'_ The low snarling voice of the villainous Spirit cut through Marik's head. Had his heart not already been tainted with his own hate and rage, Marik might have felt fear from the black tone. But he didn't and merely smiled wider as the bickering of the group over Ryou's injuries started to form.

"I was given permission to leave from the Doctors. Apparently, my wound wasn't that severe, it was actually low-blood sugar that was affecting me. I'm completely fine...and I made it into the Battle City finals. Isn't that great?"

Yugi didn't buy that excuse in the slightest and neither did Yami, who growled softly in the back on his head. Tristan caught Yugi's eye, the two exchanging knowing looks. But short of physically dragging Ryou back to the hospital, there was little that could be done. He turned to the newcomer he didn't recognise, "Hi, I'm Yugi."

"Namu, pleased to meet you."

"He helped out Ryou when Marik's goons came around. He's alright Yuug." With Joey's blessing, Yugi smiled brighter at the young, dark skinned male, causing Marik to silently cackle in glee. _Such a fool...soon your Puzzle and the power of the Pharaoh will belong to me._

Introductions went around and the group settled in to wait for the rest of the finalists. So far 5 of the 8 were present. Yami was heavily on guard, hovering at Yugi's side and twisted between staring hard at Ryou and scanning the area expectantly. _She'd better show up, I won't be pleased if she disappears again._ He kept his thoughts away from Yugi for the time, his partner had enough to worry about.

Tea checked her watch quickly. 5:57pm...the other Duelists were cutting it close. She knew Kaiba would not be happy if they showed up late to his show. Over the year and a half she'd known the tall millionaire, Tea fluctuated between liking him and thinking he was a complete jerk. He was constantly degrading her friends, which she hated, but she couldn't help thinking he did that simply because he didn't understand friendship.

The man did have a heart, it was seen when he was around his brother. And his aid when she was in danger of being crushed alive by Marik's Rare Hunter had her rethinking her opinions. She didn't remember much about what had happened after she'd shoved Mokuba out the window of the warehouse, then been tied to the chair with Joey nearby. She still needed to thank him for that and made a note to approach the prickly male once he showed up.

"Hope I didn't miss the party."

Given that the group had just witness Mai attempting to mimic an eagle, voices from the dark were not welcomed. Yugi's heart leapt into his throat and he yelped in shock, jumping a foot in the air along with most everyone else, as curses and startled voices rose into the air. "The fuck!?" "Yipe!" "Bloody hell!" "Seriously!...give a man heart failure!..." Yami jolted with him, muttering silently, _'How did I miss her?'_

His head snapped around, eyes searching...and saw the bright white of a toothy grin through the shadows several feet above his head. Crouched on top of a stack of lumber, the girl's cheeky laughter lit the night,

"Hahaha...sorry-sorry...couldn't help myself, you guys are way too easy to sneak up on." She jumped down from her perch, knees bending to absorb the impact and a worn maroon backpack dangling off one shoulder. Standing, she sauntered over to the group, still giggling incessantly.

Joey scowled at her grouchily, "Not cool, Red! I ain't in the mood ta deal with anymore surprises tonight!" A host of agreements lit the air and she raised her hands in surrender,

"Okay, okay...I give...I won't jump outta the shadows anymore...tonight anyway."

Yugi looked over her. She still had her white scarf on. He wondered how she'd moved so quietly with such a large piece of material flowing behind her. Shaking the thought aside, he moved closer as she stepped into the outskirts of the group, "Hey...listen. I wanted to say thanks for helping me out before. You really came through at a bad time...so...thank you."

Her smile soften slightly as she looked over him, emerald eyes glittering, "We all need a good swift boot in the ass from time to time, Spike. No matter who we are."

Well that confirmed that she knew the difference between Yugi and the Pharaoh, seeing as he now had his own nickname from her lips, "Will you please tell us your name now? This is getting a little ridiculous."

Her mouth opened to speak and...

"Spitfire...?"

The girls eyes flew open wide and the color drained from her face, leaving her chalky white with shock and her bag slipped to the ground with a _'thud'_. Yami yanked Yugi back without asking and took over at the sound of the rumbling, dark voice, a snarl forming on his lips. Tristan recognised the voice and instinctively stepped in front of Serenity, fists clenching at his side. He'd thrown that damn Ring away, how the hell was it back?

Parting from the crowd, Ryou's form stepped out, staring at the girl with something akin to disbelief. The gleam of the Millennium Ring _(that hadn't been present around his neck 20 seconds ago),_ caught what light there was and confirmed what Yami suspected. The evil one was in possession of Ryou once more. But that wasn't the biggest shock. What stunned the Puzzle Spirit was the girls reaction to seeing the malice entity. She swayed on her feet slightly, breath whooshing from between her lips and her voice trembled when she spoke in an near whisper,

"S-Snowy...?" She raised her hand and moved towards him, looking like she'd seen a ghost _(which was technically true)_ , "Ho-how are you...? I-I thoug...Mmmphhh!?"

Her eyes flew open further and a muffled squeak exited her throat when the Ring Spirit suddenly grabbed the back of her head and forcefully yanked her into a hard kiss!

Yami snarled in reaction, gold light emerging from the Puzzle as he pulled on the magic in rage that another male dared touch her in such a manner, never mind the _'Bane of Evil'_ , stepping forward with the intent to banish this darkness forever more.

He never got the chance.

Almost as soon as he moved, the girl viscously shoved against the Dark One's chest, forcing him back a step before she swung with a wicked right hook, plowing her fist into Ryou's face and knocking him off his feet. The _'crack'_ of flesh on bone made everyone around wince and _"Oooo"_ in response. Yami hear Tristan say, _"That had to hurt",_ and Yugi softly commented, _'Remind me not to piss her off...'_

"Oh my God! You are such a dick!"

Everyone around took a step back _(except Yami, who would rather wear a pink frilly dress than admit the girl's ferocity possibly frightened him),_ and stared at the drama unfolding before them. Sitting up, the Dark Spirit rubbed the side of his face gingerly while a sadistic grin split his face as he looked up at the enraged flame haired girl without fear or remorse. Rather, the evil being started to laugh almost hysterically before climbing to his feet.

The girl had both hands clenched into tight fists and was glaring at the Ring Spirit with such force, Yami thought the air was going to spontaneously combust. Standing before her fury, the being within Ryou merely waited, twisted smile never leaving his face. After a few moments of them staring at each other, the girls stance relaxed. A small smile crossed her face before she stepped forward and _(to everyone's utter shock)_ wrapped her arms around Ryou's chest in a tight hug?

"God, I've missed you..."

Tristan could only stare at the scene. The thing inside his young British friend had once summoned a demon from another dimension to kill a host of Pegasus's men. And this girl was hugging the bastard? Nothing made any sense, what the hell was he supposed to do? He looked over at Joey. As the two biggest people of the group, it fell to them to be the physical ones if need be. Joey looked just a baffled, unsure of what to do.

Tea was terrified and confused in equal portions. Ryou was possessed again, but this girl seemed to have some influence over the Spirit. Otherwise she suspected they'd already be yanked into anther twisted Shadow Game and fighting for their souls again. But...who was this girl that seemed to know the ancient entities of the Millennium Items?

Mai looked at the scene with interest and dread. There was another female Duelist, which she was excited about. But that weirdness that always popped up around this group was appearing again. They were all tense and on guard, looking at each other with silent questions. And Mai had no clue what to do about it. She didn't even know what to say.

Gleaming brown eyes rimmed with crimson looked over her shoulder and met with Yami's. The Ring Spirit's lips twisted higher in a mocking smirk as he embraced the red head, nuzzling his nose into her short locks.

And the girl allowed it!?

The Pharaoh's rage grew higher, as did his confusion and the burning feeling of betrayal. She'd helped him, pulled him back from falling off a cliff...why was she now supporting his enemy? Nothing made sense!

Marik stood back in the crowd, staring in shock at the events before reaching out to the entity again, _'What are you doing, you fool?! You're ruining everything!'_

 _'Be gone Boy, this doesn't concern you!'_ And with that, Marik was cast from the Spirits mind, unable to communicate with him anymore. And because he was still playing the part of the helpful Namu, he couldn't even question the Spirit about it.

"What is going on?!"

Yami's booming voice broke the scene and the girl loosened her hold on the Ring Spirit, looked back over her shoulder at him briefly, "Wait your turn King, I'll be with you in a minute."

A barking laugh from his opposite power drove his anger higher and he stepped forward menacingly, "Enough with your games, Girl! You will speak or I will rip the knowledge from your mind by force!" He'd had enough! This girl had driven his patience to the limit, he would have answers!

His partner tried to calm him, _'Yami! That isn't helping!'_ Even Yugi was a little afraid at the moment, the Pharaoh was **REALLY** mad!

The girl turned towards him, meeting his enrage gaze fearlessly. She didn't flinch at his threat or back down, meeting the challenge head on and shifting back into her battle stance. If Yami's blood hadn't been running so hot, he might have found her courage inspiring and attractive. As it was, it just pissed him off more,

"Don't start something you can't finish King!"

Before anything could escalate any higher, the entire area was suddenly engulfed in light. Everyone present winced, some crouched down and heads snapped to the sky as the roar of engines filled the air. Descending from the clouds, a huge blimp lowered itself into the open construction site. A door with stairs was open on the side and Seto Kaiba glared down at the group from the heavens like a trench coat wearing demon come to devour the souls of sinners.

A mad scramble to get the hell out of the aircrafts landing zone commenced, sending the group fleeing in different directions and refocusing Yami's mindset. He turned back to watch the blimp land, lifting an arm to shield his eyes from the blowing dirt before stepping back and letting Yugi take over again. Truthfully, right now he didn't trust his own state of mind not to do something he'd later regret. Even with the Dark One's presence so close by, the young boys calmer personality might be better for the moment.

 _'I'll get some answers Yami, I promise.'_

' _I know you will...and I'm sorry I frightened you.'_

 _'All good, I'm just as baffled as you. She really doesn't make any sense.'_ Yami couldn't form a response that wouldn't include a few choice words, so he just stayed silent, stewing in his anger, lingering near the surface and ready to leap forward in a moments notice.

The aircraft landed and Kaiba descended down the stairs. The gathered members walked back towards the tall CEO, eyes roaming the blimp with wonder. Yugi saw that the Ring Spirit lingering close to the girl, but she didn't appear to be afraid or upset about his presence, focusing on Kaiba like everyone else. Yami growled lowly when he saw the evil being had slung the girl's knapsack over his shoulder. His rival's cold eyes surveyed the group, looking over his competition.

Yugi had made it to the finals, not surprising and he was quite pleased with that. It would make crushing him so much easier. The Mutt had also made it, probably on blind luck as always. Two unknown Duelist that he didn't bother to make much note of and two women, one he recognised instantly, the other one of minior reputation. All were beneath him, save Yugi. In the end, it was really him that matter. But he still had a tournament to host,

"Welcome Duelists. Congratulations on making it to the semi-finals of Battle City. Enjoy this moment...because all of you are going to be crushed under my heel by the end of this tournament. The finals will be held over the course of the next 8 days. When you activated you Locator Cards to find this meeting point, you were registered in the system with a number. There are rooms within this aircraft to accommodate you during the tournament. All necessity will be provided, save for your personal belongings."

From inside the blimp, Mokuba and Kaiba's right hand man Roland, stepped out. The former had a briefcase that he opened, showing key cards with numbers 1-8 on them. Roland looked around, noting the ones with Duel Disc systems before frowning, "Mr. Kaiba...we seem to be missing one Duelist."

"No...we are not...I am here."

The smooth, baritone voice made everyone turn. A dark skinned adult with a tattooed face and dark purple robes bearing the _'Eye of Anubis'_ walked out of the shadows. But what made nearly everyone shift uncomfortably was the golden Millennium Rod held tightly in his right hand. Joey growled and clenched his fists. Tristan wrapped a hand around his arm to hold him back from lunging forward and attacking the man,

"It's him...It's Marik." The group of friends moved a bit closer together and Yugi managed to muster a hard look at the man when his dark green eyes glanced towards him. Yami shifted protectively beside him, his concern about the Ring Spirit pushed aside for now. Odion walked forward with a neutral expression and stopped several feet from the group. His master had ordered him to carry out this charade and he was ever loyal to the young Tomb Keeper. Kaiba moved forward and glared down at the man,

"Marik Ishtar...I should have you disqualified from my tournament for breaking my rules and threatening my brother. But I won't and that's only because you have something I want." Seto Kaiba pointed at him, "Your Egyptian God Card will be mine, so don't get used to having it."

Odion said nothing and Kaiba turn away, his coat flaring with the movement, "Alright you losers, collect your key cards from Roland and board the blimp. The semi-finals for Battle City begin tonight!"

Tea frowned at Kaiba's harsh tone. She was really going to have a hard time dealing with the elder teen on this trip. But because he'd save her life, she really would make an effort. Hopefully she didn't end up slapping the man. As the cards were handed out and the group started towards the stairs, Seto Kaiba turned to everyone with a glare, blocking the entrance and pointing towards the far side of the compound,

"This is a place for Duelists, not sideline cheering squads. All of you who aren't finalists, get out of here!" Protested erupted loudly. Joey shook his fist at the towering teen, Serenity folded her hand before her and pleaded sweetly, Tea called him a jerk and...

"Wow, you're a hard ass, Blue-Eyes. Just let them come along. Not like a few extra mouths to feed are gonna bankrupted your damn company. The ladies can bunk with me if space is such a big issue."

The girl's words were so bluntly said that all other protested quieted and Seto Kaiba turned his icy gaze towards her. Were he not so good at hiding his emotions under a mask of indifference, the red heads comment might have made his face twist in anger. He took two steps towards the small teen, glaring down from his towering position and his voice could have frozen a sun,

"Watch your mouth...this my tournament. While you are part of it, you will conduct yourself with the dignity of a Duelist. You will show proper respect to me as its Founder. Do I make myself clear?"

She didn't cower, meeting the frigid fury of the CEO even though her head only made it to his shoulders, and the saucy grin split her face again. Beside her, the Ring Spirit chuckled lowly, but no light came from his item and Yami sensed no magical force being used, "I can do one or the other, Blue-Eyes...not both. Which'll it be?"

"I will have you disqualified."

"Go for it...Are you gonna take the free pass to the final round or are you gonna give it to King?"

While the showdown between them carried on, Yugi looked at his rival. Kaiba was getting pissed, he could see it in the way he held his body. The girl really did seem to have a gift for getting under peoples skin. He frowned and asked Yami, _'Are you going to help her if Kaiba's temper flares up?'_

 _'I haven't decided yet.'_ Yugi blinked a little at the Spirit's tone of voice,

 _'Are you pouting?'_

 _'I am Pharaoh, Son of Ra. I do not pout, Yugi.'_ He wasn't sure if he'd ever heard the Spirit speak in such a haughty tone. The teen felt a grin cross his face,

 _'You are! You're jealous she's paying attention to the other Spirit.'_

 _'I am not jealous! I am upset that she's supporting my enemy and keeping secrets.'_

 _'She cold-cocked him and called him a 'Dick', Yami.'_

 _'Then embraced him like an old friend!'_

 _'She did the same thing to you.'_ Had Yami been in Yugi's body, he would have physically jerked at that comment. His voice was pitched with confusion when he answered,

 _'What are you talking about?'_

Yugi's grin grew wider as he realised his Other Half's extraordinarily rare immature side was showing. Yami was ancient, having wisdom far beyond what any human could hope to achieve. But he still had human emotions, he merely controlled them with an iron will. But that didn't mean he wasn't capable of stumbling around like an awkward teenager was supposed to,

 _'She beat you at the café and yanked you out of a hole at the river. Would you have preferred her to punch you in the face and hug you afterwards? From where I stand, I'd say she's treating both of you equally.'_ Yami could form no response, stunned into silence at the young boy's explanation, his previous rage dissipating nearly completely, leaving him feeling a bit foolish at his outburst.

Kaiba meanwhile, had come to the realisation that the girl had him backed into a corner. He couldn't throw her out of the tournament without compromising his image. Giving any of the Duelists an automatic win into the finals would tear a massive hole in his reputation. And there was no way he could let that happen. The cold expression on his face grew deeper as he looked down at the smirking female,

"Show some pride as a Duelist, behave yourself long enough for me to tear you apart in the finals." His words didn't even phase her. She lifted her left hand and gave a mocking, two finger salute,

"Oh Captain, my Captain."

Kaiba spun on his heel and boarded the Kaiba-Craft 3 before the urge to strangle her with her own scarf became too strong to resist. The group moved forward, a muttering of voices filling the air. Yugi stepped up the stair, feeling the airships vibrations through his feet and ducked inside with everyone else. The man he believed to be Marik immediately vanished into his room at the end of the hallway. Yugi felt relief hit him as soon as he was out of sight. Mokuba invited everyone into the ballroom of the craft, stating the opening ceremony would take place there and he turned to see the girl walking down the hall to her room with the Ring Spirit by her side. Gathering his courage, he quickly ran up behind her,

"Hey...wait up!"

She paused and turned back towards him. The Dark One glared at him with malice and Yugi fought back a shiver, choosing to focus on the girl, "Can we talk now?"

"Depends...is King gonna pop in and try to _'Mind Crush'_ me?" Yami muttered sourly from the back of his mind, _'Still haven't decided yet...'_ and Yugi hushed him even as his voice climbed in surprise and he waved his hand in front of him,

"You know about that? I mean...Uh...No, no...he doesn't do that anymore." She blinked in surprise, "Really?"

Yugi could only nod passively, "I don't like it, and asked him not to do it anymore."

She looked at him with a slightly vacant expression before a genuine smile lit her face, "That's...Huh...that really impressive, Yugi. You're good for him."

It was the first time she'd used his name since he'd met her. Granted, Yami had always been in control around her, but everyone called the Spirit by his name even when he was in Yugi's body, simply because it was easier for his friends and no one else knew the truth. And the softness in her voice was real, she wasn't being sarcastic. Yugi managed to smile back, "Please...can we talk? I have so many questions."

She looked over at the Ring Spirit, who lifted one shoulder in response, remaining silent. Turning back, she spoke softly, "I'll tell you what I can, Spike...Snowy showing up outta the blue kinda threw a wrench in the mix. The situation is...very complicated."

"Is that the best you can come up with?" The Dark One's sarcastic reply cut the air and she glared hard at him, "Neither of you understand what _'FUBAR'_ means, so yah, that's the best term to use."

 _'Fuu-what?'_

 _'FUBAR...Fucked-Up-Beyond-All-Recognition. It's an American phrase, I_ _think.'_ Yugi felt anxiety from Yami for a moment before the Spirit pushed his feelings away. _Always protecting me._ The young boy thought silently.

The being in control of Ryou did indeed look confused by the term and chose to harshly glare back at the girl, but said nothing more. She turned back to Yugi, eyes softening and spoke again, "What'd want to know?"

"How about your name?"

"You don't know who she is?" Mai's voice interrupted the conversation and all eyes turned to the busty blonde who walked over to stand beside Yugi, "Seriously? How did you get this far as an elite Duelist and not keep tabs on you competition, Yugi? I'm almost ashamed to call you a rival."

Yugi looked between the two women, now starting to feel a little silly, "Wait...you know her Mai?"

The violet eyed women gave him a hard look, "The fact that you don't means you need to step up your game if you want to keep your title." She lifted a finger and pointed to the red head, who's face was now the color of her hair and was shifting uncomfortably while trying to protest the dramatic introduction,

"That's not necessary, I can..."

"You are looking at the crowned Gold-Champion of the American Duelist League and the entitled _'Crimson Siren'..._ Kari M. Russell."


	3. Questions and Answers

Kari Marie Russell shifted uncomfortably, trying to bury her discomfort at having her titles thrown around so openly. She was a proud Duelist, as all were, but that didn't mean she liked flinging her name around like free candy at a parade. It had been really nice, walking around the new city and not having crowds swamp her like back home. She'd known when she'd come to Battle City that things were going to go sideways really fast and had done her best to prepare herself for it. She just hadn't counted on how bad they would be. Her green eyes glanced over at the lounging dark Spirit of the Ring. _Why did you have to show up now? How are you even here?_

Yugi blinked and looked over at the newly named _(and highly embarrassed)_ girl while Yami murmured the name out loud, _'Kari...Russell...'_

 _'Anything?'_

 _'No...I know there should be something. Some memory, some knowledge...but it still hidden. Even knowing her name.'_ Yami kept muttering to himself, the sensation of recognition pounding through him. He should know what it meant, should know this girl, but the labyrinth of him mind was still closed. Yugi heard the ocassional word coming through as Yami muttered to himself. He opened his mouth to speak to Kari and was interrupted,

"Crimson...Siren...?" The mocking rumble of the possessed Ryou broke Kari's flustered state and she partially lifted her right arm again in a threat, fist clenched tight as her temper flared,

"Don't make me have to hit you again! I didn't come up with it." The sadistic bastard smirked before pushing away from the wall he was leaning on, uncrossing his arms and shifted to a more appropriate stance, "You assume I'll let you a second time?"

"You assume you can stop it!?" She snapped back testily. Kari took a step forward, seeing the Spirit tense slightly, before she yanked her backpack off the man's shoulder while muttering, "Gimme that...Jerk-face..."

He moved further away after she retrieved her bag with a taunting smirk on his lips. Kari sighed and slung on the bag, pushing her embarrassment back. She'd almost forgotten what an ass he was. Luckily, he sought fit to reminder her. The other members of the group lingered nearby, still unsure of what to make of the whole situation. She was about to explain when Tea's voice sudden entered the fray as she moved closer.

"Wait...I thought Rebecca Hawkins was the American League Champion? That's what she claimed when we met her." Kari rubbed at the back of her neck sheepishly and nodded to the blue eyed girl in confirmation,

"She is...well...she's one of them. See, the American Duelist League ranks their victors differently than other countries. They use the Olympian System. You know...Gold, Silver and Bronze. Lil'Hawk is the Silver-Champion, she lost to me in the final round during last year's tournament...Hell of a duel, lemme tell yah...Had to buy the kid a new teddy bear to apologise afterwards."

"Funny how the little brat didn't mention that part." Tristan piped up as understanding bloomed in the ranks of the group and Yugi flushed a bit. _Okay, Mai has a point, I need to pay attention to Duelists outside of the country._ The fact that Joey hadn't known about her either made him feel a little better, but he was still embarrassed that he hadn't known who she was, given that she seemed to be quite famous.

Joey was so tense he was getting a headache. There was really only so much stress a human mind could take. Around them, the slight hum of the airship and the feeling of momentary weightlessness indicated that the blimp was now airborne. So, now there was no where to go, no where to run. That scared Joey more than he wanted to admit.

Mai was still thoroughly confused and now she was getting flat out annoyed, "Someone want to explain the inside joke. Because I'm getting really sick of not knowing what it is." Duke also spoke, "That'd be nice to know."

Yugi looked over at the testy blonde, trying to figure out the best way to explain. He trusted Mai _(and Duke and Serenity)_ , but it took a lot of faith to accept everything that was happening. The teen was saved from having to stumbling through it by Kari's voice,

"Spike pieced an ancient talisman back together which woke up a 5000 year old Egyptian Pharaoh's spirit that was stuck inside. The reassembling of the Pendant broke a magic seal that had locked darkness and evil away and its running around in the world mostly unchecked. So now we're trying to fit the problem." She gave Yugi a wry grin, "That about sum it up?"

Violet eyes blinked and Yugi's mind went blank, "Uhhhhh...?" Mai had a better answer, her voice filled with skepticism ever as a chill crawled across her skin , "You expect me to believe that?"

 _'This is starting to get off topic Partner, perhaps you should try speaking to her again.'_

 _'That's a lot easier said than done.'_ Amusement trickled into his mind and Yami chuckled, _'Glad I'm not the only one who looses face in front of her.'_

Marik meanwhile continued to try and reach out to the Ring Spirit's mind. The whole conversation might have bordered on hilarious if his wrath wasn't being stoked so high. He was loosing control of the situation and that only made him madder. Brown-red eyes finally glanced at him and the link was open again, _'What, Boy! I'm busy!'_

 _'You agreed to help me gain the power of the Pharaoh in exchange for my Millennium Item! Why did you revel yourself?! That girl supports the Pharaoh, why are you acting so friendly with her?!'_ Rage filled the mental voice and Marik had to use ever drop of willpower he had not to let the emotion show on his face. The calm reply from the Spirit stunned the young boy,

 _'You know nothing, Boy. The girl's presence is a blessing to us both. It will make the task of defeating the Pharaoh a thousand times easier. Stop bothering me, I will speak with you later.'_ And with those parting words, the connection went silent again, leaving Marik enraged and confused in nearly equal parts.

Yugi mimicked Kari's movement, rubbing at his neck while a flush crept over his cheeks, "Ummm, yah...I guess that's the simplified version. So, can I ask you something else...um...Kari?" He wasn't really sure if he was allowed to call her that, but she gave him a wry smile in return.

"Shoot..."

"How do you know the Spirit of the Puzzle?" A heavy sigh exited Kari's mouth and her shoulders slumped a bit, disappointment showing in her expression, "I can't answer that..."

Yugi waved to the Dark entity in Ryou, "How do you know him?"

"I can't answer that either, Spike." Now Yugi was getting annoyed and frustrated, understandably, which came across in his voice. This was the first person aside from Ishizu who knew about the powers of the Millennium Items without having to be told. He really wanted to know how she knew all of this, "Why not?!"

"Rules..."

Heads turned towards the Ring Spirit as he answered the question quietly. He'd resumed his spot against the wall and his head was bowed slightly. Yugi was reminded of the pose Yami often took in Spirit form. The Dark One's voice was pitched low and he spoke almost hesitantly, like he was worried he'd said a bad word. That was not in any way comforting. If the dark Spirit of the Ring was worried about something, it couldn't be good. Yugi looked to Kari and the fiery girl pressed her lips together tightly and nodded in confirmation, "Rules..."

"What rules?" Kari sighed again, lifting a free hand to rub at her temple, glancing over at Ryou's body. The two exchanged a private glance filled with meaning before she looked at Yugi with frustrated eyes. He blinked a little, mildly surprised. _Why is she frustrated? She's the one keeping secrets?_ He though to himself before her voice drew his attention again,

"Just...rules, Spike. That's really all I can say and still keep everyone safe...okay? I know its hard, but you're just gonna have to trust me on this."

Well that was certainly more concerning. _So breaking these 'Rules' endangers my friends?_ Yugi shivered slightly at the thought. Granted, it could be a trick she was pulling to gain everyone's trust, but Yugi didn't want to believe she was that heartless. He'd seen how she treated her deck, how she respected her Monsters and how she'd given out her strength when others needed it. He really didn't think that what he'd seen of her so far indicated that she was working to hurt him or his friends.

Yugi looked to the Ring Spirit. Seeing as he seemed to know what was happening and was supporting Kari, he was pretty sure knew the answer, but asked it anyway, "And you have to follow these _'Rules'_ , too?" A twisted smile formed, filled with black promises and secret,

"Of course, I'd have cut your heart out in your sleep if I didn't." Yugi jerked back a little, a trickle of fear icing through him and Yami started reaching forward to push the young boy back. Yugi resisted a bit, _'Its okay, I don't think he'll do anything in front of Kari._ '

Yami paused slightly, _'You believe she has influence over him?'_

 _'I believe he respects her enough not to attack anyone in within her sights...for the moment anyway. You can see it in the way he looks at her. She's already slugged him and he didn't try to banish her to the Shadow Realm. I'd say that counts for something.'_

 _'Mmmm, perhaps...Or perhaps their working together.'_

Yugi glanced between them. There was a familiarity the two shared, a connection. But it felt a lot like the connection he shared with Kaiba, more of an acquaintance bordering on rivalry with flat out hostility most of the time. Yah, she'd been sorta nice to the Spirit, but she'd also punched and threatened him. The relationship they had was just...weird, filled with hidden meaning and mystery.

 _'I don't think she is, I doubt the Spirit would have shown himself this early if she was, he's too clever for that. She stunned him when she showed up, he wasn't expecting her.'_

Yami was interrupted in his answer by his opposite's rimmed eyes gleaming back at Yugi before the Ring Spirit pushed himself away from the wall, "I have things to do, Spitfire. We'll meet up later."

Kari looked over at him, opening her mouth to protest before she realised how useless that would be. _Snowy_ would do what he wanted regardless of whether she was here or not. And damn be the consequences. She was going to have to try and keep a leash on him. _One more problem to deal with._ Was the thought that crossed her mind. So she merely settled for sighing in defeat, "Kay..."

Everyone watched at the white haired male start to walk down the hallway, none quite brave enough _(or stupid enough)_ to try and stop him, confusion still in the air. Yugi really didn't know what to do. _Poor Ryou, I hope he's okay._

"Hey..."

He turned back and looked at Kari. The red head looked over him for a moment. He really shouldn't be here, but he was. And despite his raging, unstable psychosis, she was somewhat happy about it. Her voice quiet was filled with a strange affection and softness, "It's good to see you..."

The Dark One nodded back before continuing, knocking on the door Odion had gone through. The hydraulic barrier slid open and the Spirit stepped inside. Leaving everyone in the hallway stunned and a bit more understanding. Joey broke the tension hesitantly,

"Well...dis just got a whole lot weirder. You working with dat whack-job too, Red? Cause we're gonna have issues if you are." Agreements among the group filled up, defences rising and Kari turned back to them with a firm look on her face. Everyone was unsure, frightened, confused and just flat out annoyed. She didn't like the situation any better, but her hands were tied. And there were few options available to make them understand that.

"No...I am not working with Snowy or Psycho...I'm..." She paused, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose as she tried to figure out how to word her reply without compromising the situation further, feeling a headache form at her temples. _Damn this is hard._ Kari had known it would be, but god damn, if Fate didn't love to screw with her,

"I'm here compete in the Battle City Tournament and do my best to try to keep everyone on the right path so the whole situation, which is so much bigger than any of you can possibly realize, doesn't cause even bigger issues to occur. I'm not the enemy here...but if you have to treat me like one to feel better, you can. I can take it."

That caused a ripple effect through the group. Tea hugged her arms around herself and shivered, feeling fear course under her skin. Joey frowned at Kari, trying to decide if he was mad or frustrated and settled for being both. Mai was still trying to decide the proper way to deal with a group of people who's cheese had clearly slid off their crackers. Tristan really wished he'd thought to sneak some alcohol on board.

The uncomfortable silence following Kari's explanation was broken by the frigid voice of Kaiba from behind the group, "If you're all finished with your little pride parade meeting, the Battle City Finals are still underway."

Yugi turned to the tall man, who stood center in the hall behind them, arms cross and permanent scowl etched into his face. Beside him, Mokuba was significantly more cheerful, holding up other Key Cards, "Hey guys, we've arranged for your guests to stay in the spare rooms. The girls and guys will have to bunk together, hope you don't mind."

He moved forward to hand the thin plastic keys to Duke and Tea. Yugi heard footsteps behind him and turned to look over his shoulder. He witnessed the flowing material of Kari's scarf disappear into Room 7 before the door closed behind her. _'Guess she was done answering questions. Not that she gave out a lot.'_

 _'No...but what she did give out is very disturbing. She is here for a purpose, one she cannot reveal for fear of causing harm to those around her. And the Dark One seems to know about it as well.'_

Kaiba waited while his brother handed the tag-along leeches their room keys before he turned and looked Yugi straight in the eye. The short teen didn't look away, meeting the cold gaze without fear. Few people could do that and Seto sneered slightly, "Muto...a word of advice. I know for a fact you haven't added your Egyptian God Card to your deck. If you want to make it any further than you have in my Tournament, I suggest you change that. Otherwise you're going to get crushed by me. And I'd like at least a bit of a challenge from you beforehand."

With those words, the billionaire CEO spun on his heel and marched down the hallway, coat flaring dramatically behind him. Tea glared at his back, holding the key card close her chest, "Jerk...come on Serenity, lets check out our room. We should all break up for a while, get some air. Let's meet in the ballroom Mokuba invited us too afterwards, yeah?"

Agreements went around and the group split apart. Finalists headed into their rooms to settle and Yugi waved his key card in front of the electronic lock of Number 4, looking down the hallway towards Kari's room before entering. The room was surprisingly spacious, having a full bed, connected bathroom and small living room area with a bar fridge. Massive windows on the far side showed the night sky with wisps of clouds blowing by as the blimp flew onwards to its unknown location.

Yugi set his suitcase on the small sofa and slumped down into the cushion of the chair, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. "Soo...you haven't said much about what you think of Kari."

His partner's translucent form appeared standing in front of him with an expression that almost bordered on grumpy and nearly made Yugi start to giggle, _'She's infuriating and intriguing, I don't know what to make of her.'_

Yugi managed to grin a little as he got a grip on his amusement, "She's a girl, Yami...they were literally created to drive guys bonkers." The Pharaoh's lips quirked slightly at that,

 _'Perhaps...but we should focus more on our Deck for now. We still have a Tournament to compete in. Kari Russell is not going anywhere, we can deal with her later.'_

The spiky hair teen nodded and pulled out their deck, spreading the cards on the small table as the two began to discuss their options.

* * *

Behind the sealed barrier of her rooms door, said girl in question leaned her back against the solid metal, grateful that something wasn't shifting around her. Leaving the group so suddenly felt like a cowards move, which she hated, but she was coming close to loosing her composure. Too many questions she couldn't answer, too many familiar faces. She'd prepared herself for weeks to deal with this, centered herself and pulled on all her discipline. And yet she was still crumbling at seeing him again. Both of them.

A shadow without any form moved in the corner of the dark room before a deep, male voice spoke softly, sounding almost like it was speaking through liquid, "Mistress...are you well...?"

Kari pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes hard enough that she saw spots dance behind her eyelids. The physical discomfort was a welcome relief to the ache in her chest. Her voice held a touch of accusation, but mostly was just tired, "You didn't tell me Snowy would be here."

"I did not know, Mistress...The Thief King has hidden his presence well...I could not sense him...I still cannot sense him...But the darkness grows stronger, even now...It presses against the seal...trying to break through..."

She sighed as her legs gave out and she slid down to the floor before pulling her knees to her chest and hugging them tight. She buried her face against her bare legs hesitating before speaking to the unknown entity in her room, "He's going to be a problem...isn't he...?"

No answer came from the voice in the dark and she let her head clunk against the door as the silence filled the room. Liquid filled the young girl's eye and her lower lips quivered for a moment as she struggled to keep the stress and frustration from overwhelming her before the soft voice spoke again, "Strength, Mistress...you must walk forward..."

"Am I going to be able to do this...? It's hard...so much harder than I thought it would be."

The room was silent and still, the only sounds the hum of the airship and whisper of shuddering breaths from the girl curled in a small ball. The smoky, fluid voice tried to reassure her, "Have faith, Mistress...you will see this through..."

* * *

As the Finalists and guests explored their rooms, a new figure walked calmly down the hallway. Clothed in a cream colored sleeveless one-piece dress with the bottom similar to a sarong, a matching waist length veil which widened and spread below her shoulders and gold sandals. Her jewelry consists of gold bracelets, ankle bracelets, armbands and brooch bearing the _'Eye of Wdjat'_ on her veil. Dark, naturally tanned skin and sharply angled slate blue eyes looked over the closed doors before focusing on the one emblazoned with the number 8.

Ishizu Ishtar paused before the door, reaching up to gently touch the cool gold of the Millennium Necklace at her throat. It hadn't taken much to convince Kaiba to allow her to accompany him aboard his airship. She merely had to remind him that _'Obelisk, the Tormentor'_ was still her card. The Egyptian women knew the man intended to try and steal the card from her, but her Necklace had shown her it would be returned to where it needed to be. But that didn't mean she intended to stand by and do nothing as her Brother tried to rip power out of the dark dimension and fell further and further into madness. Her younger sibling was terribly sick and needed guidance. She only hoped she could reach him before it was too late.

Removing the Master Key Card from her robe, Ishizu wave it before the lock. The door hissed open and she stepped into the darken room fearlessly. Despite Marik's rage and acts of aggression, she was sure he would not hurt her...much anyway. If nothing else, he couldn't afford to do so this early in the Tournament. She had seen with her item that Marik would face the Pharaoh in a final battle, but the outcome was still clouded and hidden from her sight.

Inside the room, Ishizu looked around and was surprised by what she saw, "Odion?"

Her adopted brother turned from his position of staring out the large windows. His face flashed with equal shock before he placed a neutral mask back on. The tattooed man looked over his younger sister. He shouldn't be surprised to see her aboard the ship, she too had struggled to keep Master Marik on the path of light. She would not give up simply because the young Tomb Keeper's father was no longer alive. The darkness within Marik, fueled by his inner demons, was growing stronger and Odion could only hope his presences and support would be enough to keep it at bay.

"Sister..." Odion's voice was cold. He didn't move from his position, letting the silence fill the air. Finally Ishizu replied, "Marik is having you pose as him, drawing attention away from so he can get closer to the Pharaoh."

"Oh look, a women with a partial brain in her empty head. How charming..." The hissing voice sliding like thick tar from the side of the room caused goosebumps to form on Ishizu's skin. Her head snapped towards the sound as a tangle of white hair emerged from the shadows. Her eyes locked on the Millennium Ring around his neck and her senses buzzed like the flapping of a thousand tiny insects. Danger was so heavy in the air she could practically taste it and the dark aura around the boy seemed to pull in all shred of light. There was a power unlike any she'd encountered lingering in that body, one that froze the breath in her lungs cold.

The Thief King let his red tinted eyes roam over Ishizu's form hungrily, a twisted grin forming when he spotted the Tauk at her neck. Yet another item that had walked into his hands, how fortunate for him. He started to walk forward, smile climbing when the dark skinned women took a half step back before the elder man in the room interfered, "Enough Ring Spirit. This does not concern you, nor is it prudent to you original agreement. I will handle this."

Ishizu looked back at her adopted brother. Loyal Odion, always placing himself before them, protecting them, even from the cruelty of their Father. The Dark One paused and glared back at the man. Ishizu felt the air sizzle and shadows started to shift, tendrils of magic forming as the entity summoned black energy, "I do not take orders from you, Slave."

The door behind her opened and her Brothers voice entered the fray, "No...you do not. But you will obey me if you wish to have your reward."

Ishizu looked behind her, turning to face Marik as he stepped into the room. Cold, lilac eyes looked back at her. She almost flinched at the glare. Had her brother fallen so far he could muster no affection for her at all? As the door closed behind him, Marik reached behind him and removed the Millennium Rod from the small of his back. The golden sceptre gleamed as he pulled on his own power, pressing it against the Ring's magic.

The conflict lasted for a few moments before the Thief King started to chuckle lowly, the sound growing till horrific laughter filled the room and he relented, pulling back the Shadow magic to his person, "What a lovely family reunion this is, so touching and sweet." He lowered his twisted glee and stepped back into the shadows, content to watch this show for the time.

Ishizu carefully exhaled, not knowing when she'd suddenly held her breath. Looking at Marik, she met his resentful gaze boldly. The boy she'd grown up with looked back unsmiling, "Ishizu...what are you doing here? If you hope to convince me to return to Egypt, save your breath. I am through with the sunless life of a Tomb Keeper and I will free all the clans from such a heartless fate. Why do you even still serve the Pharaoh? A disembodied Spirit so weak he cannot even remember his own name."

Marik clenched his fist tighter around the Rod, feeling the magic hum beneath his fingers. A whisper pasted by his ear. _Kill her...stop her before she interferes._ His hand tighten and a glow grew on the _'Eye of Anubis.'_ It was the firm baritone of Odion that pierced the young Tomb Keeper's murderous haze,

"Master Marik...This is fortunate for us. Ishizu has come here first, before speaking to any other, hoping to turn you from your path. None are aware of the deception yet, we can use this to our advantage." His eyes flicked over to his faithful servant. The only one to ever understand him. Looking back at Ishizu, he sneered coldly,

"You're efforts are useless Sister. I will open the doorway and seize the power of the Pharaoh as my own! I will remake the world as it should be and you will not interfere!" Summoning the dark magic, he flung it at his her form. Ishizu cried out in pain, unable to block such a strong attack and flew back against the wall. Her head cracked on the metal and her limbs were frozen, icy power holding her still. She struggled not to whimper and looked at her Brother with pleading eyes,

"Marik...brother...please..."

The pressure on her body increased, squeezing like a vice and chocking her breath. She couldn't breath! She couldn't move! Spots started to appear before her eyes and dizziness filled her head before suddenly the spell was broken and she slide to the floor, gasping for air greedily. Panting from the strain, Ishizu looked up at Marik, his cold, rage filled eyes staring down unblinking,

"Leave...now...and say nothing to anyone. Or I will not show mercy a second time."

Ishizu climbed slowly to her feet, light-headed and heart pounding in her chest. Moving past her brother, with surprisingly calm steps considering he'd just lashed out at her, she looked back over her shoulder as the door hissed open, "I will return Marik...I will see you through this."

With those words, she stepped fully across the barrier, letting it close behind her. Shuddering out a breath, she reached up and touched the Necklace at her throat, drawing on its power to look through the thick veil of the future. A vision of her Brother, with wild hair and a maniacal grin, and the Pharaoh filled her eyes. Darkness surrounded them, cracks appearing in the shadows, leeching black steam into the air. In the sky above, a circular indigo colored symbol that she couldn't focus on was breaking apart. Ishizu released the vision, feeling her hands shaking. So uncertain...everything was shifting so rapidly. Looking at the closed door again, she swallowed before walking down the hallway.

Back in the shadowed room, the two item bearers clashed. Marik pulled on the power of his Millennium Rod, filling the air with shifting shadows and pressing against the iron wall around Ring Spirits mind. The Thief King opposed him, more amused than angry at the attempted intrusion. The boy was a true fool, not having any idea of the powers he was challenging. He believed that he knew the history of the past, knew what had happened. After a minute of the two wills pressing against each other, Marik relented and spoke with barely contained rage in his voice,

"Explain yourself...Who is this girl? What is her purpose here and why are you behaving so strangely with her? How does she know the Pharaoh? Speak!"

The white haired male chuckled darkly, a knowing smirk climbing on his face, "Ahh Boy, how little you truly know. Listen closely, I will not repeat myself. There are powers growing far beyond what you can imagine. Powers that form protective barriers that prevent even me from giving you the answers you seek or acting in the manner I wish without killing both of us, and likely everyone else on this floating boat. But I will say this...the girl is more valuable to you than you know. She is a fulcrum that will determine the victory or failure of either party."

"Who is she? What is she?" The Ring Spirit's grin grew wider as he lowered his voice, forcing Marik to strain to hear the words he spoke. As he listened, the young boys eyes flew open wide, shock crossing his face before a victorious, twisted smile etched itself on his face and he started to laugh, the sound growing in volume and echoing off the walls till it consumed the whole room.

* * *

No one could say Kaiba didn't know how to throw a party. Yugi had met up with everyone else in the massive main room, which boosted a high ceiling and an elevated podium at the far side. Tables lined with food and drink were set up on the right side. An elegant dining area with cloth covered round tables and baquent chairs was to the left. A playlist of music ranging from modern pop songs to slower classical music filtered gently through the overhead speakers. Small T.V's in the walls were turned on, some to sports channels, others to news networks. It was a perfect setup for relaxed conversation and general socialization, just what everyone needed.

Having taken an hour and a half to redesign his deck, calm his mind and just get his bearings again, Yugi was feeling better now. After a long talk with Yami, the two had agreed that adding _'Slifer, the Sky Dragon'_ was the only viable option. Marik and Kaiba would not hesitant to unleash the power of their own God cards and if Marik was right, the pair could not afford to lose a duel to either man. Yami was adamant that the Puzzle had to remain with the teen, showing a rare fear to Yugi at the idea of the items power falling into the deranged Tomb Keeper's hands. At Yugi's insistence, they'd kept Joey's _'Red-Eye Black Dragon'_ in the deck, something that made them both feel more secure.

So now Yugi was sitting comfortably in his seat, watching with barely contained fascination as Joey and Tristan attempted to break the record for how much popcorn shrimp one human body could hold. So far, both were tied at having consumed 4 full plates. He looked over at Tea, who had a forkful of mash potatoes paused halfway to her mouth as she stared at the two men,

"Are we in a splatter zone?" Her voice was deadly serious. Yugi snorted and took another sip of his lemonade, "Maybe...you want to move?"

"That'd mean we'd miss the show. I'll risk it."

Tea kept eating, feeling better now that everyone had cooled down a little. The whole situation was so confusing. She was glad Serenity and Mai were around, it was nice not being the only girl in an all guy group. Then there was Kari. She frowned at that thought. Tea was pretty good at judging people, or at least she believed she was. And what she'd seen so far baffled her, but she didn't get a bad vibe from the American Champion. Not like...she turned to look over her shoulder at the stoic Kaiba, who was speaking with Roland in a low voice. Swallowing her mouthful of food, she came to a decision,

"Actually...I'll be right back. Yell if their going to explode, I want to get a video for YouTube." Yugi waved lightly, still watching the pair with a slightly wariness, like looking at a dog you weren't quite sure wasn't going to bite your face off.

Pushing away from the table, the brunette dancer weaved between tables. Serenity and Mai were chatting with large smiles. The blonde had one of the young girls hands in hers and Tea briefly heard the word _'Manicure'_ as she passed nearby. Namu had joined the group a little while ago and was hanging out with Duke. The two were looking at one of the T.V's that the news was playing on. She could hear anything they were saying. Ryou's, or what was in Ryou, was still MIA as was Marik. And Kari hadn't shown up yet either.

But Tea's destination was none of these groups, she split from them and headed towards the tall, dark haired male at the front of the room. As she approached, cutting cobalt eyes glanced over her before looking back to Roland. Tea caught the tail end of the conversation as she got closer, "...will begin at 10:00pm sharp, Roland. Is that understood?"

"Of course, Sir. Everything will be done to your exact specifications." Roland gave a small bow to the CEO before moving away, presumably to carry our whatever command his employer had just given. Tea took in a deep steadying breath and placed a small smile on her face as Kaiba turned towards her. Okay...now to try and talk to the man without snarling at him.

"Hey Kaiba. You have a minute?"

The angled eyes looked down at her with the warmth of a December blizzard. Seto Kaiba nearly dismissed the overly cheerful girl. She was a distraction and an annoyance he didn't need right now. His sole focus was his Tournament and winning the other two Egyptian God Cards to create the ultimate deck. But as she smiled softly, hand tucked behind her back, he forced his irritation back. Tea Gardener was the only one among Yugi's little pep squad that he could tolerate to be around for longer than two heartbeats. Though she was always preaching of friendship and support through numbers, which was utter nonsense in his mind, her courage to stand up to him was impressive. And she was protective of his brother, which was a redeeming quality that made him hesitant in casting her away.

"Make it quick, I have a tournament to run." Tea crushed down her urge to snap back and managed by digging her nails into the palm of her hands,

"Well...you're doing a great job so far. People are going to talk about Battle City for years. But that's not really what I wanted to say. I..." Tea took in a breath and looked Seto Kaiba in the eye, sincerity lingering in every word she said, "I know your basically living in denial about the weird things that have been happening and that's fine. You can do that if you want, no one can make you believe anything. But...I just wanted to say thank you...for helping me at the peer. I...don't really remember much, but I won't be here if not for you...so thanks."

Before Kaiba could snarl out a response in defense, saying his actions had nothing to do with saving her and he was only repaying a debt, the high pitched squeal of a female voice drew both their attentions.

"Kari! Welcome to the party! Get over here girl, we need to talk!"

Mai's frantic waving towards the door that Kari walked through made everyone's heads turn. Kaiba was half grateful for the distraction. Tea's soft voice and heartfelt words made emotions he didn't want to deal with flare up. The girl in question glanced back and smiled again, before walking towards the red-head that was flushed and hesitantly making her way towards the purple clad blonde.

Yugi stopped looking at his two friends gorging themselves, eyes studying the small girl. He decided back in his room that he wasn't going to treat her like an enemy as she'd asked. So far, everything he'd seen seemed to point towards her helping everyone, doing something to stop the chaos from getting worst. The fact that she couldn't give out much information was frustrating, but he didn't think it was any easier for her. So, he'd give her the benefit of the doubt for now. Standing up, he walked towards Mai, hearing the chitter of female conversation,

"...am so glad I'm not the only female Duelist that made it to the finals. Us girls gotta stick together, am I right?" Kari could only nod passively as Mai's charismatic excitement bowled her over. She glanced up at Yugi as the young boy approached, offering a small smile.

"Hey Spike."

"Hi...everything okay?" Kari shrugged a bit. No, everything was not alright, but there was nothing she could do about that. She'd spent that last 2 hours recomposing herself. Honestly, she would have stayed in the room if one of the aides on the ship hadn't knocked on her door, informing her that the match up for the first round of the finals was going to take place soon. But she needed to put on a good face for Yugi, god knew he'd have enough crap to deal with soon enough,

"Yeah...I'm cool. You don't look like you're ready to strangle me, so I assume we're okay? How's King taking it?" Yugi rubbed at his neck with a smile, "I'd never try anything like that. I just decided it doesn't matter why you're here. What matters is that you want to help. That's enough for me. Yami is...quiet. I think he's pondering things."

Emerald eyes blinked rapidly, surprise shining through before she smiled back fondly, "Yeah...that sounds more like him. Thanks Spike, that means a lot."

"Can I ask you for a favor though?" Kari hesitanted but nodded, "Can you make the Ring Spirit...I don't know...go dormant for a while. I'm really worried about Ryou."

She rubbed at her arm and tilted her head towards the ceiling in thought, "I...can ask Snowy to step back for a while. But, you have to understand, I have no real pull over him. In case you missed it, he's an asshole. You're friend is really unfortunate to have been born with a soul compatible with his and to have the Ring choose him to be its keeper."

Tea joined in the conversation, "So wait...you're not friends with the Ring Spirit then?"

"Hell no! What made you think I am?" The brunette frowned back at Kari, getting confused again, "Well...you were acting really friendly with him. Then there was that kiss..."

Kari scowled deeply at the mention of that incidence. Yugi felt curiosity and contentment from Yami as he listened in, "I was surprised to see him. You think he would have gotten that close if I hadn't been caught off guard? He was trying to piss me off and succeeded. We have a...history so to say, but that doesn't mean I really like him. The guy gets his jollies by screwing with peoples minds, did you not figure that out yet? Oh, I'm sorry I socked your friend, by the way."

Mai didn't like the conversation, but since no one was focusing on the tournament she had little say in the matter. She was still trying to figure out if she believed that ghosts were possessing people and a so called great evil was on the horizon, ready to swallow the world. So for the moment, the blond stayed quiet and listened to the strange topic.

Yugi sighed, shoulders slumping a bit. He was really hoping Kari might be able to help Ryou. The last time the man had been possessed by the Ring Spirit, it had taken a Shadow Game to bring him back. Yugi was really hoping not to have to go through that again. But Kari was talking, so maybe he could weasel some answers out of her, "I'm sure he'll forgive you, given the circumstances. So...what do you think he's up to? Can we get Ryou back?"

The American girl looked over at Yugi. He was a really sweet guy, with such a big heart, always thinking of others first. Kari rubbed at her temple again, feeling another headache coming, and carefully worded her answer, "I know this whole thing is really confusing and I really wish I could say its going to get better. But its not. And despite every effort, when a war breaks out, the innocent are always the first to suffer. Ryou will return to you, that I guarantee that. Snowy is...difficult and a massive pain in the ass. He does what he wants and whatever is needed achieve his end game. On the rare occasion, sometimes that means he's helped with certain things, which is why I was being semi-friendly with him. He's a schizophrenic nightmare, but when he's not acting like a total jerk-off, his help can be really handy."

All conversation was halted when Roland stood on the podium and loudly announced that the draw for the first duel of the finals was about to take place. Through the doorway, the tall robed form of Marik appeared, followed by the white head of the possessed Ryou. Yugi moved with the girls as everyone gathered a little closer to the elevated stage area. Kaiba stood with the other finalists as the MC reveled a massive, Blue-Eyes themed lottery machine, explaining that all the matchups for the finals would be decided by chance.

Everyone was tense and excited as the white ping pong balls started bouncing around. As the first one rolled into the model of the legendary dragon, Yugi felt his heart pick up pace, even as Roland announced the result out loud, "The first number drawn is 4...Duelist Yugi Muto."

Yami stirred in the back on his mind, the familiar sensation of anticipation thrumming through them both. As the machine kicked up again, the pair leaned forward slightly, waiting to see who there opponent would be. The small round sphere fell into place and Yugi's stomach dropped at the same moment Kari snapped out in irritation,

"You have got to be kidding me?!"

Number 2...Yugi turned slowly to look over at Ryou's form, seeing the Ring Spirit's dark smile grow even more twisted. Roland announced that the two chosen Duelists were to head to a private elevator that would take them to the Dueling Arena and all others were to use a different transport. The group started to part ways. Joey clapped Yugi on the back, wishing him luck and his other friends chorused him. Kari broke from the group, stomping towards Ryou. Yugi quickly trotted after her, somewhat afraid she was going to try to hit the Ring Spirit again,

"Did you do this!? Are you seriously causing trouble this damn early!?"

The dark Spirit within Ryou merely chuckled and smirked back, giving a light shrug, "Luck of the draw, Love. You'd have known if I did anything." Yami shifted again, annoyance bleeding through the link even as he tried to hide his smug amusement at the girls treatment of his enemy. She was baffling beyond belief, but he couldn't help the draw he felt towards her.

Kari glared harder and pointed at him accusingly, "So help me God, if you get sent to the Shadow Realm, I am not bailing you out, you hear me!" She whirled in place, looking at Yugi with hard eyes, "Kick his ass, obviously he hasn't learned his lesson yet."

With those parting words of encouragement, which pleased Yami more than he wanted to admit, Kari left the pair and headed to the public elevator. Roland waved to the two chosen Duelist and Yugi headed over, hearing the soft steps of the Ring Spirit behind him. Yami asked quietly as they were left alone and the elevator started to move, _'Yugi...May I take over? I would speak to this one before our Duel.'_

 _'Sure. Don't loose your temper again, Kari's done enough of that for us both.'_

 _'You have my word.'_

The Puzzle glowed briefly as the two souls switched places. Yami straightened and looked over at the other Spirit, who smirked back while leaning causally against the wall, "Finally coming out to play? I don't know why you tolerate having that runt up front so often, you could easily overpower him."

Yami glared hard, "I do no abuse my Partner as you do. Yugi and I share a mutual respect and friendship, something you will never have with Ryou."

"Nor do I want it. The boy is a weakling, it is only his body I require. For the time anyway, soon I won't even need that. But that's not why you're speaking to me...is it?" Yami had to take in a deep breath to steady himself, drawing on his will to stay focused,

"The girl...Kari Russell...what is her purpose here? Why do I know her?" A dark chuckle came from the entity as the elevator grinded to a halt and the door hissed open. The Dark One gave an over the shoulder response as he started to leave the transport.

"Defeat me, Nameless Pharaoh...and I might just tell you the answers."

* * *

The winds howled around them as the two challengers stood on the Dueling Arena. Kaiba had spare no expense, choosing to hold the final battles 4000 feet in the air, where the frigid temperature would push each competitor to their limits. Yami felt the platform start to rise as Roland took his place as judge of the Duel. From the side, he saw the wind whipping Kari's neck scarf around. The girl would have looked poetic if she wasn't glaring so hard at both Duelists Yami feared the arena might catch fire. She was clearly highly displeased with the match up and completely unafraid to show it. _'Who's side is she on?'_

 _'I'm not really sure she's on a side. Pretty sure right now she's just acting as damage control.'_ Yami mentally jolted slightly, unaware that he'd spoken to his other half, before he forced himself to refocus on his opponent. Distractions were not welcome right now. He looked around carefully. Open sky and dark clouds. The Spirit hadn't opened a pocket dimension yet. Yami truly hoped it stayed that way, he'd really like to not partake in a Shadow Duel for a while.

Roland raised his arm, the signal to begin the battle. The Ring Spirit had won the toss and went first, drawing his card before summoning _'The Portrait's Secret'_ _(1200/1500)._ The Fiend Type monster cackled at Yami, its twisted visage constantly shifting around. He frowned at the abominal creature and took his turn. He looked over the field before speaking,

"I summon _'_ _Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts' (1500/1200)_ in attack mode. Now my mythical beast, destroy _'The Portrait's Secret'_ now!" The brown furred chimera howled in victory as its claws tore the living painting apart, splintering the monster into triangular pieces and dropping the Ring Spirits Life Points _(4000 → 3700)._ Yami set a card face down then ended his turn.

The white haired man didn't react to his monster being destroyed, save for smirking in response. Yami stayed on guard. "I will play _'_ _The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams' (1300/1800)_ in attack mode and end my turn." Now the Puzzle Spirit was even more wary. His opponent had played a monster weaker than his _'Gazelle'_ and left nothing up as a defence? It was an rookie move, one not in character for the dark entity. _'What is he planning?'_

 _'Not sure, but we can't afford to not take advantage of his mistake.'_

 _'Agreed.'_ Yami drew his next card. _'Gamma The Magnet_ _Warrior' (1500/1800)_ looked back at him and he summoned it to the field in attack position. _'Gamma The Magnet_ _Warrior'_ quickly attacked and destroyed _'_ _The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams'._ Without hesitating, Yami then commanded _'_ _Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts'_ to attacks the Ring Spirits Life Points directly _(3700 → 2000)._ A pained grunt escaped the man as the beasts talons ripped across his chest before he recomposed himself.

Despite the rapid lose of his Life Points, the Thief King was exceptionally pleased with how the duel was progressing. His foolish opponent was writing his own defeat with every move and he reveled in the suspense. He drew his card and fought down a gleeful grin. _'_ _Destiny Board', excellent. This card will ensure my victory._ But first, one more step was needed, "I will summon _'_ _Headless Knight' (1450/1700)_ in attack mode. That will be all for now."

"My move then," Yami drew his card and adding it to his hand, before pointing to the newest Fiend on the battlefield, " _'Gamma',_ attack and destroy the _'_ _Headless Knight'...'Gazelle',_ attack his Life Points directly!" The two monsters flew across the field, slicing through the Dark One's defense and dropping his Life Points to a mere _'450'_ while Yami was still untouched at _'4000'._ With growing confidence, the Pharaoh smirked over at his opposite,

"Do you intend to forfeit the duel? With how you are strategizing, I'll win in my next turn." He heard cheers from the sideline as his friends rejoiced at his rapid lead in the battle. Yami dared not risk glancing over at them. If he looked over at Kari again, he feared he might loose his focus, especially since her voice was not among the cries of support. That fact alone made him cautious. His opponent only chuckled in response as he drew his card,

"You know nothing fool, you've already ensured your own defeat. And you will soon see why." The Ring Spirit shifted his Duel Disk and explained his moves as three cards popped out of the device, "I will remove _'_ _The Portrait's Secret', 'The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams', and 'Headless Knight'_ from my Graveyard. This will allow me to special summon _'_ _Dark Necrofear' (2200/2800)_ from my deck to the battlefield in attack mode. I then place two cards face down...and end my turn."

The blue skinned female swooped past Joey and Serenity as she materialized on the field. Serenity shrieked in fear, clinging to her brother as she stared at the creepy looking monster. A deformed baby was held in the scandalously armored women's arms and an aura of sheer wrongness surrounding her, permeated the air like a fog. The bald humanoid tilted her lips in a demented expression as her misshapen child's eyes blazed with a sickening intelligent. Yami looked out at the creature, feeling a chill crawl up his spine even as Yugi quietly muttered, _'That things gonna give me nightmares...'_

The smooth tone and almost relaxed expression on the Ring Spirit's face made Yami even more puzzled. Yes, his newest monster was stronger than his others, but he was still barely in the duel with such low Life Points. Yami risked a look at the red head. Kari was focused on the _'Dark Necrofear'_ and her expression showed nothing. It was the same look she'd worn during their duel at the café. Sensing his gaze, green eyes flicked to meet his and she her lips turned down in a frown. The silent warning was clear in her face...this battle was far from over.

The next card he drew was _'_ _Dark Magician Girl'._ _Good, this will do nicely,_ "My turn. I will sacrifice _'_ _Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts'_ in order to summon _'_ _Dark Magician Girl'_ _(2000/1700)_ to the field in attack mode." The colorful pink and blue sorceress trilled in delight, spinning gracefully as she appeared. Yami proceeded to activated his face-down _'Magic Formula'_ spell card, increasing her ATK by 500. A large book appeared in the blond monsters hands and she flipped through the pages quickly.

Waiting for the magic to take effect, Yami then pointed to the creature across the field, " _'_ _Dark Magician Girl',_ attack and destroy _'Dark Necrofear'!"_ _(450 → 150)._ Yami opened his mouth to command his magnet warrior to finish off the last of his opponents life points, but the sound of hysterical laughter made him pause. The Ring Spirit was almost doubled over, gaffing so much his shoulders shook. Before he could snarl out a response, red tinted eyes snapped to his face,

"And so it begins! You walked right into my trap like a lamb to slaughter! Thank you for your cooperation, I do love it when my enemies make things easy." The Thief King waved to his face-down card and it lifted up to show a dark castle image, "Because you sent my _'Dark Necrofear'_ to the Graveyard, I can now activate _'_ _Dark Sanctuary'._ And end your miserable existence."

The Dark Spirit kept laughing as the arena became surrounded by an eerie purple dome. Behind the white haired boy, a huge black castle formed and the haze surrounding them suddenly had hundreds of eyes and grinning mouths looking in. The oppressing air weighed on Yami's shoulders like a boulder, the sensation of being surrounded by necromantic magic tainted his skin. On the sides, his friends moved closer together for comfort, the unearthly new images surrounding them feeding their fears and insecurities. Something was just wrong, it was felt by all.

The battle quickly turned bad after the magic card was activated. Yami attempted to finish the duel with a direct attack...and found out about the other being living within the _'_ _Dark Sanctuary'._ A malicious ghost that possessed his monsters and negated their attacks, dealing half of their ATK to his own Life Points and restoring his opponents. If that wasn't bad enough, the Ring Spirit activated _'Destiny Board',_ which would allow him to win in only 5 turns. With Yami only being able to attack with one monster and the powers of the area effect card giving his opponent the ability to play Spell and Trap cards in his Monster Zones, options were rapidly dropping, as were his Life Points and he was soon sitting at only _'750'._

If that wasn't bad enough, a split in the wall around them had shown swirling inky blackness and Yami had finally been able to sense the dark power of the other Realm over the Sanctuary's heavy aura. The Dark One had dragged them into a Shadow Duel, hiding the open portal behind the gruesome dome. The sapping magic of the dominion made every blow as real as the breath in his chest, the monsters and magic no longer computerized holograms, but flesh and blood creatures and scorching, draining powers. His partner was starting to get agitated,

 _'This isn't good Yami. We don't know which of our monsters has the ghost in it. If we don't figure out how to pin it down, we're going to lose!'_

Said man in question took in a deep breath to steady himself. The strikes he'd taken from the ghost as it flew from the back of his _'_ _Dark Magician Girl'_ felt like someone has hit him with a pillowcase full of bricks. The young female looked back and he could briefly see tears in her blue eyes. He managed a small nod and murmured quietly to the loyal magician, "I'm alright...focus on the fight." She nodded back and turned to glare at the opponent across the field.

Pausing to consult and reassure his partner, Yami drew his card, _'I am not about to lose to a coward that uses invisible spirits to fight for him. Stay with me Yugi, this is not over yet.'_

He looked at the monster he'd drawn and summoned _'Big Shield Gardna' (100/2600)_ in defence mode. With that, Yami now had 4 monsters on his side, _'Dark Magician Girl',_ _'Gamma The Magnet_ _Warrior',_ and _'Kuriboh'._ In his hand, Yami had _'_ _Collected Power', 'Monster Reborn', 'Exile of the Wicked', 'Card Destruction',_ and _'_ _De-Fusion'._ A plan was forming, but luck would need to be on his side for it to work.

"I'll set two cards face down. The I will end my turn."

His opponent smirked deeply, drawing his card as he taunted the Puzzle Spirit, "Perhaps you should forfeit the battle. Might be less humiliating that watching my ghost tear you to shreds." Yami glared back, refusing to be intimidated, "Make you move and stop the monologue. It's irritating to hear you talk."

From the side, he heard his companions laugh and encourage the banter. Yami wasn't one who enjoyed the verbal component of a Duel, psyching out and bluffing to gain an edge, but it was a crucial part of the game. He was as skilled at it as any other. As he watched, his opponent sacrifice another of his summons to keep the _'_ _Dark Sanctuary'_ active. That was perhaps the only advantage he had, the Dark One had to continually destroy his monsters to keep the magic card on the field.

 _'Time to turn this battle around. Ready, Partner?'_

 _'Right beside you. Let's do this.'_ Yami drew his card and started to speak, "I activated my face-down _'_ _Collected Power_ _'._ This Trap Card allows me to equip all _e_ _quip cards_ to _'Kuriboh'_ which includes your _'Ghost of Dark Sanctuary.'_ " Though Yami couldn't see the invisible spirit, the look he received from the Ring Spirit assured him the ploy had been successful.

"Then I shall play _'_ _Exile of the Wicked'_ to destroy _'Kuriboh'_. This action also destroys your _'Ghost of Dark Sanctuary'_." An enraged snarl filled the air as the small puff of fur disintegrated. Yami smirked at the sound, "I'm not done yet. I will then activated my other face-down, _'_ _Monster Reborn'_ to revive _'_ _Dark Necrofear'._ And I don't think I need to explain what happens now."

The look of rage sent towards Yami could have made a mountain shake. Since _'_ _Dark Necrofear'_ was on the field, _'_ _Dark Sanctuary'_ was destroyed, displaying to all that they were now surrounded by the black cloud of the Shadow Realm. Yami commanded the blue skinned women to attack the Ring Spirit directly _(3400 → 1200)._ And then heard the angry yell of Kari from the sidelines,

"Snowy! You son-of-a...! Fight fair or not at all, you demented prick!" It was the first words she'd said since the start of the duel and Yami snapped his head around to look at her. She was glowering at the Dark One, hands on her hips and face twisted in rage. That made Yami pause in confusion, _'She didn't sense the Shadow Realm?'_

 _'Neither did you at first. Maybe she can't use magic.'_

 _'I doubt that, she did vanish into thin air after all.'_ Yugi hummed in response, amusement flickering across their link, _'That's true. Funny how that's no longer an interesting story.'_

The moment of lighthearted mirth lifted both their spirits a little before the grave situation sobered them. _'_ _Destiny Board'_ was still active and had shown another letter. If the duel progressed past his next turn, Yami would lose. They needed to finish this fight **now**! The possessed Ryou smirked back and chuckled as he drew his card,

"Don't start you celebrations yet. Magic as powerful as my Sanctuary can't be destroyed so easily. So prepare...your end is here!"

The Ring Spirit summoned a new monster to the field, activating its special ability which destroyed all _Special Summoned_ monsters, sending the newly revived _'_ _Dark Necrofear'_ back to the Graveyard. That act allowed him to reactivated _'_ _Dark Sanctuary',_ but he was forced to sacrifice his monster to keep the magic card on the field. That didn't stop Yami from gritting his teeth as the man passed his turn after laying a card face down. And Yugi picked up on his worry,

 _'This is the last turn we have. If we can't bring his Life Points to '0', he wins with 'Destiny Board'.'_

 _'I know, Yugi. And I suspect he's lain a Trap Card to ensure that whichever one of our monsters is possessed by that ghost will be the one to attack.'_ Yami looked to his deck, held snugly in his Duel Disk, even as the Dark One on the opposite confirmed his fears, "You cannot win. My ghost is drifting into your monsters again, and my face down card will ensure your defeat. Can't you see...you've already lost! Just give up now!"

Yugi materialized next to him in Spirit form. His expression bordered on fear, but he looked up at Yami with determined eyes, _'We can't lose, everyone's counting on us. There's one card that can save us and win the duel.'_

 _'Yes...but it might be too dangerous to play.'_ Yami still looked at his deck, waiting to draw his next card. Yugi placed his translucent hand over the deck, _'I know...but we have no choice. We lose if we do nothing, and I for one am not letting that evil bastard get the best of me. We need to do this, for Ryou's sake and the worlds. You with me, Partner?'_

 _'I am.'_ Together, the bonded pair drew the top card of their deck. Yami sensed the vibration in his hand even before he looked at the card. They'd done it. With their combined faith in the _'Heart of the Cards'_ , the Egyptian God Card was now in their hand. Holding the card high, Yami thanked his summoned monsters silently and as the light died down from their sacrifice, the whole airship trembled as massive coils wrapped around the balloon. Scales the size of dinner plates formed, huge razor talons and wings that enveloped the arena. A mouth that could swallow an ocean and hunger for more opened wide, roaring into the air and deafening everyone around.

As the gathered members googled at _'Slifer, the Sky Dragon',_ shock and awed by its awakening, none saw the small yellow eyes and double mouthed head of the great Dragon look to the sideline and focus on one person, who subtly shook their head.

The Ring Spirit struggled to hide his terror and dread at the massive beast now encircling the airship. It was beautiful in its awesome fury, a deadly, unchallenged power that he wanted as his own. But given his position, taking such a titanic strength wouldn't be possible at this time. Marik spoke to him again, giving him knowledge of the God's power. When Odion appeared behind Yami, claiming control over both the Ring Spirit and Bakura, the Thief King nearly snarled out loud.

 _'You dare to interfere in my affairs Boy!'_

Marik stood behind the gathered group, smirking unseen as his servant drew the attention of everyone. It was a perfect plan, never would Yugi allow one of his friends to be injured simply to win a Duel. Victory was within his reach, he could almost taste it, _'Listen fool. Yugi will never harm Ryou, he doesn't have the stomach. He will forfeit the battle to ensure his safety. Allow the boy to take control. It is the only way you can win.'_

Despite his anger at Marik's ploy, he couldn't help but admire the boy a bit. Ruthless and cold, the darkness was affecting him more than he knew. Relenting to the Tomb Keepers plan, the Spirit stepped back, releasing the weak willing teen from his hold. Ryou swayed on the platform before falling to his knees and clutching his arm in pain. Blood leaked through the bandage and fatigue weighted on his body. Soft brown eyes and a confused British voice exited his form,

"Yu-Yugi? Where am...I don't...It hurts...please...help me..."

His young partners distress nearly overwhelmed Yami. The quiet plea and broken visage of his friend tore Yugi's heart open. The Pharaoh had taken three steps forward before he was stopped by Roland, who commanded him to continue with his turn or be disqualified from the match. From the sides, objections and cries of concern and anger filled the air. Odion turned without looking back and left the area, trying to push back his regret at having to carry on such a farce. He truly wished he could deny his young Masters command, but doing so put his adopted brother in further risk, which he would not allow.

Yami gritted his teeth as Yugi's pained voice came across their link, _'Ryou's in pain, he's hurt! If we attack with 'Slifer', we could possibly kill him! We can't risk it!'_

 _'I know...but if we do nothing, we lose the duel. Yugi...that cannot happen. I...'_ He wasn't able to put into words the sensation of horror and wrongness that accompanied the idea of the Millennium Puzzle falling into the Dark One's hands. The two were locked in opposite states of mind, something that so rarely happened between them. Yami struggled to come up with a plan, a way to win without harming Ryou...and his mind was blank. When he'd first woken, he wouldn't have hesitanted in his decision, but now, having the friendship and love of those around him...he couldn't act!

"Snowy! You spineless wimp! Did you really fall so far that you're taking order from someone like that?!"

Yami's head whipped around. Kari had vaulted onto the edge of the platform, crouched with one bend knee and perched comfortably on the curved virtual projector opposite of the judges area. Roland yelled at the girl, ordering her to step down from the stage or be disqualified from the tournament. She ignored the man and pointed accusingly at Ryou as she stood, balancing like a jungle cat on the rounded foothold, "Don't think I won't step in! You know I will! Take your licks like a man and stop playing possum...Stand and Fight!"

It was the same words she'd spoken to Yami at the river and his heart thumped against his chest. At the second warning of the judge, Kari jumped backwards off the podium. Joey and Tristan both yelped, diving forward to catch the falling girl. She responded by landing one foot on each of their shoulders, acrobatically standing like a cheerleader before her weight and the forward momentum of the boys started to topple her human perch. She leaped from the men's torso's, twisting in mid-air to land gracefully in a semi crouched pose while her two would-be saviors crashed to the floor with a pained groan _(much to everyone's amusement)._

Yami stared at her for a moment before she straightened and looked at him, eyes alive with righteous fury, "Don't hesitant King! Finish this! You have too! You can't lose here, too much is at stake! Strike now!"

Yugi jolted in the back of his mind, stunned by her sudden heartlessness. Ryou was his friend, he could let him get hurt! His other half was reeling, torn between doing what he needed to and helping Ryou. _'Yugi...I don't...I can't...'_

A ripple of power sliced the air, drawing his attention. Yami sensed a change in the magic surrounding them, a shifting force followed by a blinding light from the Ring around the albino boys neck. His head snapped back to his opponent, seeing the familiar smirk and crimson rimmed eyes. Yugi sensed the shift as well, relief hitting them both, _'He's back...'_

Contrary to what Marik wanted or what _Spitfire_ had demanded, the Ring Spirit hadn't repossessed Ryou by their command or desire. Rather, he still needed the boy's body to survive for the time. The ancient powers were pressing against the barriers and for the time, it would be better for him to be closer to it. Which meant allowing his mind to be sent to the dark plane. As the two partnered Duelists looked out at him, he spread his arms wide with a mocking laugh, "Go ahead! Command your God to attack! This will not be the end! It is only the beginning of your demise!"

Yami growled in response, pointing to his target and bellowing the order to attack. The great behemoth's lower jaw filled with crackling bolts of yellow lightening before expelling the massive force at Ryou's body. The Ring glowed briefly, shielding the body of his host before darkness enveloped his mind. As the dome of dark energy dissipated and Roland declared Yugi the winner, _'Slifer'_ faded from the field and the presence of magic left the area.

Ryou started to fall and Yami bolted forwards, catching the young teen as he toppled over. Carefully lowering him to the ground, Yami scanned him for further injury as the rest of the group rushed forwards, "Ryou!" "Oh my God, is he alright?!" "Yugi! Ryou!"

Chocolate orbs looked up in confusion with a face twisted in discomfort and weariness, "Where...where am I?" Yami supported him gently, even though his own fatigue from the fight clawed at him. Relief flooded him. He was alive... "You're with your friends, Ryou. Its alright, you're safe now."

Movement from the side made him look over. Kari had jumped back onto the stage and was crouched by the edge. When she stood, her hand held the Millennium Ring by its rope, the gold item reflecting in the night sky. She frowned at the circle and slipped the loop over her neck, pulling her scarf out when it was caught underneath before walking over to them. She knelt down by Ryou, reaching out to gently touch his forehead,

"Rough night...hey Sweetie. Let's get you inside, you need some rest." She looked over at Tristan and Joey, "Tee...Blondie...lend a back, would you?"

* * *

Three hours later, Ryou was safely settled in his bed. Yami stood over the sleeping boy, worry etched in his face. His friends were spread out around the room. The late hour meant a good chunk of them were asleep or on verge of going to sleep. Tea had pulled up a chair near the foot of the bed and was pasted out on the mattress. Mai had stuck around till she was sure Ryou was stable before excusing herself. Duke and Tristan mostly sitting up and were back to back on the couch, snoring loudly as their heads rolled together. Serenity was sitting vigil by the white haired boys bedside, with Joey hovering nearby,

"Are you sure he'll be okay Kari? He looks really pale."

From the opposite side of the bed, the red head sat on the mattress. A needle and syringe with a clear liquid was in her hands as she slowly injected the product into the fluid line attached to Ryou's arm. The group had quickly learned the young women had a great deal of knowledge on medical care. She was apparently studying to be a Doctor, taking part in several early courses at her school.

She'd stood before Kaiba when they'd started to move Ryou, demanding supplies and a clean room to treat him in. When the two had started to break into another argument, Kari had pointed at the prone boy and promptly said, "Lawsuit, Blue-Eyes! Don't think I won't do it!"

That had ended the disagreement and Kaiba had even order his on board medical aide to help the girl in treating Ryou. Yami had watched with fascination as she worked with the man, settling Ryou into bed and helping connect a catheter and intravenous line to his arm. She'd re-bandaged the wound on his bicep, which she said was infected and the medical aide had mixed up an antibiotic that was given via the clear line. Kari was administering the second dose now.

As it was, their friend appeared to be resting comfortably and Kari brushed a hand over his forehead before responding as she finished the treatment, "He's beaten up pretty badly. Snowy wasn't gentle with him. I see signs of fatigue, malnourishment and mild blood poisoning, but its nothing some rest and proper care won't treat. Lucky for him, he doesn't remember anything. It'll make the recovery easier."

Serenity breathed out a sigh of relief. She looked at the gold ring still around Kari's neck and asked hesitantly, fear evident in every word, "Soo...does that mean that the Spirit in the Ring can't hurt him anymore? Is he gone?"

"I'd also like to know the answer to that. Or is that another question you can't respond to?" Yami was fighting his own weariness, standing at the foot of Ryou's bed and trying not to glare. He was frustrated, tired, anger at his previous feeling of powerlessness and in severe need of someone yell at. And Kari was acting as a perfect target.

The girl in question sent a slightly heated look his way before she stood. Her voice was sharp, but lacked any real fire, sounding as tired as Yami felt, "Don't get pissy with me King. I didn't start this, I'm just here to see it through to the end." Yami didn't fight the dirty look he shot at her this time. She looked over at the other awake female in the room,

"Rena...I wish I could say Ryou's out of the woods and Snowy won't bother him anymore. But that's not the case. He's MIA for a while and that'll give Sweetie here some time to recover. But his soul is the only one compatible with Snowy's and the Millennium Ring still recognises him as its keeper. I'll hold onto it for as long as I can, but in the end..." She turned her head and looked to Yami, shoulder slumping a little, "In the end, the past must be repeated in the future to end this problem."

Yami shuddered a little, the words familiar and haunting. Serenity and Joey looked back at their friend as Kari rose. A quick talk between them had the two siblings agreeing to watch over Ryou for the rest of the night. Kari walked towards Yami, who tensed slightly as she took his hand and started to pull him out of the room. The Puzzle Spirit resisted at bit before Kari overruled him,

"King...you're exhausted. Everyone can see it and you're not doing anyone any favors by pushing yourself further. Come on...you need to rest."

Joey joined in the argument, "We got dis Yugi...get some sleep." The real Yugi muttered drowsily from the back of their mind, _'That would be nice...'_ Relenting under the pressure, Yami allowed Kari to lead him from the room. In the hallway, she started to release his hand. He tightened his hold almost against his will before she looked back a bit puzzled.

Taking in a breath, Yami walked past her, leading instead of following. She allowed the pull, falling in a step beside him. Waving his key before the lock, he gestured inward and Kari moved past the threshold. Yami followed and the door closed behind them. It was the first time they'd been alone...completely alone without risk of being interrupted. The wild haired boy moved towards the windows, looking out over the night sky as he tried to collect his thoughts,

"What's on your mind King?" Her voice was soft, sending a thrill up his spine despite the fatigue in his bones. He pinched the bridge of his nose, struggling to put his desires into words, "I have so many questions, so much I want to ask you. But...you won't speak, will you? You won't give the answers I want..."

Kari sighed and walked over. She stood next to him, putting her back to the windows and stared at the far wall. The lights were still off, only allowing the glow from the clouded moon to illuminate the room. It was so hard to deal with seeing him struggle. He shouldn't have to do this, it should be done and over with. Kari closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the glass,

"Do you think its easy for me?" Yami looked over at her, seeing weariness on her face. She looked back, pain shining in her green orbs, "Do you think I enjoy seeing you look at me with empty eyes...with no idea who I am...no memories of what's happen? I'm not Snowy...I don't enjoy toying with people's heads or causing pain and suffering around me. But there are powers working here you don't understand King..."

Yami swallowed, grateful Yugi was asleep in his soul room and unable to hear this conversation for the time, "I'm sorry...if I'm hurting you...I just...why can't I remember you?"

"Because..." She paused to consider how to explain, swallowing back the pain and keeping her voice level, "Because of what you did 5000 years ago. You sealed away the darkness, saved the world...but doing something like that doesn't come without a price, King. Do you think you lost you memories because of time? No...you're far too strong willed for something like that to affect your mind. I can't tell you what happened, who I am or anything else related to what's happening without risking your soul, Yugi's soul and everyone and everything within a 3 mile radius. You have to remember on your own...by fulfilling your destiny and moving forward."

He exhaled in frustration. Well, that was more than what he'd had before. And enough to worry him greatly. Turning to look at her, he tilted his head, "And you're here to...help with that." She nodded slowly, hesitantly, like she wasn't quite agreeing with his statement. He kept talking, "Then answer this...if the Ring Spirit hadn't re-possessed Ryou, what would you have done to ensure my victory in the duel?"

Kari pulled at the long tresses of her hair. A nervous habit she'd picked up after she'd cut it. After a minute of silence, in which Yami looked at her with clear, nearly unblinking eyes, the small girl managed to speak,

"My magical manipulation is...unstable at best. It really only works when directly in the Shadow Realm. But...something happens when Divine Beasts are summoned in the Realm. For a few minutes, the dark magic of the dimension is in complete disarray. It's able to be pulled on and used by almost anyone with some skill at using magic. When you called _'Slifer, the Sky Dragon'_ to the battle, her presence caused a small tear in the barriers around the Realm. This tear would have allowed me to access the magic of your Millennium Puzzle...and I've have been able to force Snowy back into Sweetie's body...But he choose to return of his own free will, so I didn't have to do that."

Yami's heart stopped for a moment at her words...then picked up at a mile a minute. She could have used his Puzzle? The magic that had only ever been his and sometimes Yugi's? He swallowed, needing more information, "Would others have been able to do this as well? Gain access to my item? And...wait... _'Slifer'_ is a female?"

The red head managed to laugh lightly at the way Yami's voice climbed in pitch at the realisation, "Yes King... _'Slifer, the Sky Dragon'_ is a girl. The other two Egyptian Gods are male, she's the only women of the trio. And no...no one else is able to use your Puzzle like me. Their locked out, as per normal with the items unless won by someone else in a Duel. I'm...unqiue in that sense...that's really all I can say. And I really don't want to have to use that ability."

"Why not?"

"Cause it'll hurt like hell. For both you and Yugi. Retching power like that without permission is not pleasant. It would cause damage to both of your souls." Yami looked over at her, a realization dawning, "But you would have...if you had been forced to?"

Kari looked away, guilt crawling over her face. But she nodded in confirmation, "Yes...I would have...if I had to. Two injured souls and an angry, mental unstable Spirit banished to the Shadow Realm over the death of millions of people and permeant darkness over the world. Yes King...I would have forced your hand...so you didn't have to make that choice. You've made enough hard choices. If I can take some away from you...make this journey easier for us both...I will...without hesitation."

He didn't know how to respond to that. Part of him wanted to be angry at her, enraged that she would violate him in such a way, rip into his magic so ruthlessly. The other part was almost flattered that she was willing to accept the guilt and pain to make his life simpler, aid him on this difficult path he had to walk. She was a twisted puzzle of never ending mystery. And damn if he didn't find himself getting more and more interested in trying to solve her.

"How did you vanish before if you can't use magic outside the Shadow Realm?" She sighed and pushed away from the window, looking over at him with clouded eyes and he knew the response almost before she spoke, "Don't ask questions I can't answer King. Get some rest okay...things aren't going to get any better from here."

With those words, Kari walked out of the room without looking back. Yami watched her leave, torn between asking her to stay and collapsing on the bed. He settled for the latter, managing to slide his boots off before resting his head back against the pillow, letting his eyes drift closed.


	4. Temper, Temper

One would think one would get used to waking up with an aching body when one was host to a rash of supernatural events and conduit for a magic using ancient spirit.

Yugi would have a few choice words for anyone that had said that to him this morning. While he'd defiantly felt worst, the stiffness and soreness was still not something he would ever enjoy. And the fact that Yami had fallen asleep with the Millennium Puzzle around his neck didn't help. At some point during the night, the two had switched again _(something that typically happened without either able to control it)_ and Yugi had rolled over on the mattress, causing the sharp edged bauble to leave red indents on his chest. Not comfortable.

Blearily, the young teen lifted his head and his vision adjusted. The room was lit brightly with sunlight and the chronic hum of the airship filled his ears. Looking around, he blinked a few time till the bedside digital clock came into focus.

2:00pm

 _Okay...not morning anymore. How long did I sleep?_ Groaning a bit, Yugi let his head fall back down to the pillow. He didn't know what time Yami had finally fallen into bed, having stumbled to his soul room shortly after assuring himself that Ryou was safe and cared for. Shadow Duels were exhausting and no matter how many he partook in, they didn't get any easier. He briefly recalled Yami talking to Kari, but seeing as they were alone and he didn't currently have a black eye, he assumed it went well.

 _'You wound me Partner. Did I not say I would stay my annoyance with the girl?'_

Yugi couldn't quite stop the small grin that crawled across his face at the stirring of his other self. He hadn't meant for his thoughts to be so loud. Yami sounded haughty and prideful. So...completely back to normal. Stretching out, he winced a little at the twinge in his muscles. It wouldn't be necessary for Yami to use his skills to heal him this time, but it was still uncomfortable.

Rolling out of bed, Yugi proceeded with getting ready for the day while conversing with his partner, "You did say that...but as we both know, Kari is very skilled at getting reactions out of people. Can't blame me for being a little skeptical."

A chuckle rumbled through the air as Yami phased into Spirit form. He was smiling a little and his shoulders were more relaxed. Yugi wasn't sure if that indicated that he was feeling better or if he was putting on a brave front for him. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference, the Puzzle Spirit was extremely skilled at bluffing. _'I most certainly agree, but I believe Miss Kari and I have a bit of an understanding now.'_

Yugi pulled out a fresh uniform from his suitcase and snorted a bit as he walked over to grab a towel. Hot water was a Godsend for sore muscles, " _Miss Kari_...when'd you get so formal?"

 _'I do strive to be polite Yugi. Besides, surly that is better than calling her 'The Girl' all the time.'_

"You don't call Tea _'Miss'_. Or Joey and Tristan _'Mr'_ or _'Sir'_."

Yami shook his head as Yugi vanished into the bathroom, staying outside the facility to give his partner space, _'They are our friends...she is not.'_

 _'You don't think of her as a friend?'_

Pausing at the mildly alarmed tone of his hosts mental voice, Yami had to think for a few moments. Kari Russell was an enigma...a riddle every fibre of his being wanted to solve. She knew things he desperately wanted to know, but her words of warning warred within him. He felt comfortable around her, draw towards her emerald eyes and musical voice. And the fact that she stood like a brick wall when threatened both appealed and worried him. Would she place her own life in danger to help him if it came to that? The thought of her being hurt bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

Realising Yugi was still waiting for a response, he replied carefully, _'I think she could be a valuable ally in the coming fights...but I still think caution should be taken when dealing with her. She seems to want to help...but everything is still so uncertain.'_

Rampant amusement and a muffled laugh came through the closed door, _'Ask her out on a date...that might ease up some of the tension you two are dancing around. How long has it been since you've had a crush on a girl?'_

Yami jolted suddenly, then scowled at the air, replying with a carefully controlled tone of voice, _'I do not have a crush on her. I don't even know her...very well anyway. For all I know, she could be a reincarnation of my sister.'_

The door to the joined bathroom slide open with a hiss and Yugi walked out, fully dressed in his fresh Domino High uniform and towel draped over his head as he dried his hair. Yami briefly saw mirth dancing in his amethyst eyes that he tried to hide with the fluffy white cloth, "Or your mistress...or wife. Personally, I like Kari. She's strong and fierce and doesn't take any crap from anyone. Tea will get along great with her. Mind you, Joey and Tristan will probably have permanent bumps on their head from the two of them."

 _'My mistress? What do you know about that sort of thing Yugi?'_ Now the conversation was getting a bit weird and Yugi grinned impishly as he tossed the damp towel in the provided hamper.

"More than you obviously. Come on...I'm hungry and I'd like to see how Ryou's doing beforehand." Humming in agreement _(and resisting the urge to argue with Yugi about his more intimate knowledge's)_ , Yami fell in a step beside his partner. Staying in Spirit form didn't use up a lot of energy on his part, but some parts of it did creep Yugi out a little bit. Like how when he walked through the open door, Yami just walked through the wall.

Yugi almost instantly wished he chosen to stay in his room for a while longer.

"Do I look like an idiot to you Psycho! Don't tell me you had nothing to do with it! That's a load of crap and we both know it!"

"You dare to accuse me of theft, Child! Such an act is beneath me, especially from a weak little girl like yourself!"

"Both of you calm down and someone tell me what the hell is going on! Roland! Fuguta! Do not let them engage again! I will not have my ship turned into a brawling arena!"

"Sir!" "Yes Sir!"

Down the hallway was a scene of epic proportion. Marik's robed form stood tall and intimidating in the brightly lit area. His attire looked slight dishevelled, like someone had grabbed onto his clothing. Kari was across from him with fire blazing from her eyes and fists clenched so tight her knuckles were turning white. Both were being held back by Kaiba's men _(though Fuguta was more standing in front of Marik with a hand out),_ and that appeared to be the only reason the two weren't physically tearing each others throats out. Although Kari was wriggling a bit in the bear hug hold Roland had her in, Yugi got the impression she wasn't trying particularly hard to break free.

Kaiba was fuming on the outskirts of the fight, jaw clenching and unclenching in time with his hands. Mokuba stood slightly behind him, looking cheekily amused. Namu had his head poked out of his room, staring at the scene with fascination. Joey and Tristan flanked Kaiba on either side, giving each other questioning glances and the three girls were paused with turned heads outside Ryou's room. Everyone was focused on the conflict with laser intensity.

 _'Oookkaay...worst wake-up call ever.'_ Yugi stared at the scene with rap attention, concern and confusion warring with equal intensity's. He despised violence. Such acts went against everything he stood for. That's why he preferred to settle things through duels, most of the time no one got hurt. That was not what was currently happening.

Yami looked at the fight with equal interest, crushing down the surge of fear he'd felt at hearing Kari's screaming voice. Marik didn't currently have his Millennium Item out, but he had no doubt the sceptre was hidden within his robes, ready to tear into anyone that threatened him. Which the hot headed female was dangerously treading towards.

Said female in question threw her elbows backwards into Roland's gut. A whoosh of breath gushed by her cheek as the man's hold loosened and she shoved his arms off her. Kari glared across at Marik over Fuguta's shoulder, holding back on her urge to throat-punch the tattooed man, which would have been somewhat difficult with the guard in front of him, but she was pretty agile.

Instead she turned her rage onto Seto Kaiba, "What kind of facility are you running here, Blue-Eyes! I thought these rooms we're in were secure! So what am I to think when I wake up to find I've been robbed in the middle of the night! Is you're security so lax that I'm soon going to have my whole deck stolen! Or worst!"

Kaiba twitched at the redirected aggression, taking in a deep breath to calm himself. This girl was proving to be far more trouble than she was worth. But he was the Founder of the Battle City Tournament. This craft was of his own design, including the security system. If it was being called into question, he was responsible for dealing with it. He made a mental note to add in holding cells on any future planes he built. And he needed more information to settle this problem.

"What are you talking about? The doors on each room lock instantly when closed and can only be open from the inside after that. No one may enter without the proper key card or a master key card, which I have the only copy of." Kaiba withdrew the master key from his coat, just to prove he had it before continuing, "It's impossible for anyone else to enter, unless you were so foolish as to give your card to someone else. In which case, any missing items are your own fault. Now, what exactly was taken from your room?"

Kari glared back, unwilling to back down. It wasn't in her nature to flee from a fight. She pulled out her own card and waved it in the air mockingly, "My key cards right here, Blue-Eyes. I didn't give it away or lose it, its been with me the whole time. What isn't currently with me is the Millennium Ring that I had last night! So unless you gave out your master card to someone that opened my door, you've got a problem that's going to become a whole lot bigger if I don't get some answers! And the return of that Ring!"

Odion mustered a cold look towards the girl. He'd been dragged into this argument when Kari had pounded on his door, demanding to speak to him. Still posing as the young Tomb Keeper, Odion had to use all his discipline to keep his façade up when the red head had accused him of stealing the Millennium Ring from her room, even boldly going so far as to grab the front of his robes with the intent of inspecting his neck for the item. The honorable side of him was impressed at her fearlessness to confront such a powerful enemy. The commotion had screeched through the blimp, drawing Kaiba and his men to the scene right before Odion would have been forced to strike the girl to get her off him. Now, he had to deal with the current mess.

"I took nothing! The only things I desire are the Egyptian God cards and the power of the Millennium Puzzle. Everything else is meaningless and I will not tolerate these falsehoods you spew!" Jade eyes snapped back to him and a snarl exploded from her mouth, "BULLSHIT!"

 **"ENOUGH!"** Kaiba's bellow seemed to shake the very hallway. Years of acting as CEO and speaking before groups of ruthless men eager to tear his hard earned work apart had given him a voice worthy of a God. A powerful pitch that could make even the most hardened person flinch. Rarely did he have to use it outside a boardroom these days, but it seemed that was the only thing that would break apart this situation.

Everyone present quieted at the yell, turning to look at the tall man. Pausing, Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose briefly before turning his frigid eyes to the two Duelists, "I will not stand for such childish and disrespectful actions aboard my airship. Marik Ishtar...you are far from a shining example of a law abiding citizen and if I find that this accusation holds any amount of truth, you will be removed from my Tournament and will be personally dealt with by me. As for you..."

Kaiba turned to Kari with a glare that froze the air around. Even the enraged girl shifted slightly, though she did not look away, "You have been warned about you behavior. I am not your parent and I will not give you a second chance. Defy my orders again and you too shall be removed from this ship. As for your claim of theft...I will look into this matter personally. My aircraft is equip with high definition and infrared security cameras in all places, save the guests personal quarters. I will review them myself and deal with any foul play that may or may not have been performed. Now...both of your disperse! I've had enough of babysitting toddlers for one day!"

The heat in the air from flaring tempers decreased. Kari glared bitterly at the robed adult as Odion swept down the hallway. Everyone stepped back as he passed by, disappearing into some unknown corner of the airship. Kaiba spun on his heel as well, leashing his temper firmly when Mokuba trotted alongside him and cheerfully commented, "You should hold tournaments more often Seto. Haven't had this much fun since the _'Super Glue'_ incident."

Everyone around just stared in stunned surprise, exchanging glances and lifting shoulders in confused shrugs. Yugi looked over at Kari, who exhaled heavily and leaned back against the wall, massaging her temples with a pained expression.

"Do you ever go anywhere and not find trouble, Red?" Joey scratched at his cheek, a grin starting to form on his face. Now that the immediate threat of Marik was gone, he couldn't help but find a lot of humor in the fact that the man had gotten a verbal lashing from a girl half his size.

The rest of the group gathered together, mingling loosely in the wide hallway. Yami looked over Kari carefully. She was back to wearing the sleeveless green top with black shorts and her classic white scarf. He could seen mild red marks on her arms that were rapidly fading from where Roland had held her, but otherwise she was unmarred.

Yugi spoke up next, "Kari...are you alright? That got...pretty heated. Marik didn't hurt you, did he?" The red head in question looked up, glancing at each member of the group before focusing on those who'd spoken,

"I don't find trouble Blondie...it finds me...even when I try like hell to avoid it. And no Spike...Psycho didn't touch me. Blue-Eyes and his goons showed up before fists got involved. Much to my disappointment." She scowled at the far wall, feeling her anger start to flare up again. Nothing cured frustration as much as beating the crap out of someone. Taking in a deep breath, she struggled to find her inner calm.

Mai Valentine's interlude did not help, "Wow...those rouge roots go right down to your toes, don't they? I'm surprised you haven't burst into actual flames."

Tea stifled a giggle from where she stood beside the blonde women and Kari felt her rage start to dissipate at the teasing tone, managing to chuckle a little, "Well...stick around Harpy...maybe you'll get lucky and get to see spontaneous human combustion occur. And I'm all natural, thank you very much."

Mai eyed the ruby colored locks that would have put a maraschino cherry to shame and smirked back, "Uh-huh...and I'm the Queen of the England." Kari pushed away from the wall and bowed deeply at the waist towards the purple clothed women, "Your Majesty..."

Giggles and laughs erupted from all around. The air calmed and everyone was able to relax again. Yugi smiled, glad that things were getting back to normal. Or at least his version of normal. Not wanting to shatter the mood, but knowing that someone had to say it, the spiky haired teen reluctantly spoke up, "So...what happened Kari? Is the Ring really missing?"

The flame haired girl looked back at him, sighing a little before starting to walk down the hallway with a backwards wave, "Let's all grab some food and then we'll talk."

Everyone fell into a loose step around, all moving in the same direction. Yugi had wanted to check on Ryou, but Joey assured him that his British friend was resting comfortable. The blond boy had made sure not to leave until Ryou had eaten a decent breakfast and fallen into a deep sleep. Not wanting to disturb him, Yugi kept moving with the group.

Emerging into the ballroom again, a large buffet was set up for everyone. Yugi plated himself a generous amount of fries and two fully loaded hamburgers, trying to ignore his growling stomach, before joining everyone at the large table. Munching on a crispy potato, he waited for the bad conversation to begin. Kari let everyone get some food into their system and chat causally before she ruined the mood. Things were just getting better and better.

"Alright...seeing as my unchecked temper got everyone worked up...sorry about that, my mouth tends run away without my brain attached..." Tristan snorted into his goulash and sarcastically replied, "Nooo...really?" Kari gave the brunette a dirty look before smirking at Tea,

"Hit him..." A yelp emerged as the blue eyed girl happily complied, smacking her friend lightly upside the head. Yugi swallowed a laugh by taking a large bite out of his burger while Tristan grumbled about abuse and everyone else giggled at the display. Kari felt a little better, sharing a mutual bonding moment with the tomboyish girl.

She finished chewing her mouthful of egg salad sandwich before continuing, "Anyway...my issues aside for the moment...yes...the Ring was taken from my room last night."

Shocked eyes and uncomfortably shifting occurred. Serenity was the first to speak, her voice fearful and worried, "And you think Marik took it? How'd know the Ring Spirit didn't come back and is in Ryou again?"

"First place I checked when I woke up and found it missing. Snowy is still gone, I'd be able to tell if Sweetie had that ass back in him again. And I _know_ Psycho took it, no one else would want the damn thing. I just can't prove it. My issue is I didn't sense anyone come into my room. I'm normally pretty sensitive to that. No one used Shadow Magic to get in and out, meaning someone has access to Blue-Eye's system. Which is a lot worst."

Worried looks passed around the table. The idea that Marik had people on the blimp that could access their rooms while they slept was highly disturbing. Mai was the one who spoke up, being older and less synchronized with the group, "So...do we need to be concerned? How off the rocker is this guy? Are the walls going to be painted red by the end of this thing?"

Serenity shivered and moved closer to her brother. Tea wrapped her arms around herself and even Yugi looked worried as he waited for Kari to answer. To his distress, she didn't respond for a few moments,

"Right now we don't need to be concerned about anything...fatal happening just yet. Physical...yes...almost guaranteed...but there are currently preventions in place to keep any murders from occurring. However...as things progress further...yah...those safeguards are going to get weaker...and those with...looser morals will have more...freedom. Resulting in a lot more dangerous situations arising."

Being one of the only ones from a wealthier lifestyle, Duke was more familiar with thugs and hired muscle believing they could instill fear and achieve what they wanted through physical pressure and force. With that in mind, he added his two cents to the topic, "If that's the case, maybe we should start staying in pairs wherever we go. Might want to think about re-arranging the sleeping setup too."

Murmurs of agreement went around, along with worried looks and tiny shivers. Conversations eventually leaked back into a causal atmosphere. Namu managed to keep a neutral, if not slightly frightened look on his face even as he crowed internally at the chaos being caused while he ate quietly. Mai and Joey wondered about who would be selected for the next match, which was scheduled to take place at 10:00pm tonight. Tea asked Kari about her home country, drawing Yugi's interest. Duke and Tristan started to argue about who would accompany Serenity around the airship, till she naively asked them both to show her the basics of playing Duel Monsters together.

Yami had been blatantly listening in on the talks, standing nearby in Spirit form and glancing around the room occasionally. When Kari's eyes had flickered over him during the course of the conversations, he didn't think anything of it. But when it happened a second time and her green eyes met with his own, holding his gaze for three heartbeats before she quickly looked away, alarm awakened in him, _'Yugi...I think Miss Kari can see me...'_

His young friend jolted slightly before he shocked all parties by just blurting out his response, "Kari...why do you pretend you can't see Yami?"

The red head choked on her sandwich, coughing and hacking while Joey leaned over a slapped her on the back. In the back of his head, his other self stuttered and everyone else was just confused. It was a good way to end lunch.

* * *

Kaiba sat back in his chair before spinning towards the windows behind him and folding his hand beneath his chin. He'd spent the last three hours going over every frame of video from the security systems and had come to a conclusion he really didn't like.

Marik Ishtar was more destructive than he'd first thought he was.

In the process of review the feed, he'd seen the young Duelist that called himself Namu enter into Marik Ishtar's room no less than 3 times since his guests has boarded the Kaiba-Craft 3. Which would indicate the boy was working with the sociopath. Barring that evidence, there was a time gap in his video footage from last night. Between the times of 4:03am and 4:42am, no picture was shown on the screens save for a segment of black and white snow. When he'd dug deeper into the issue, now angry that someone was screwing with his work, what he'd found had not been good.

Someone with quality skills had hacked the firewalls and protections he'd installed. And when he'd looked at the electronic locking data, his Master Key had been used 2 times on the airship. Which meant that Kari Russell's claims were founded on truths. There was a flaw in his system, which could very well endanger those he was responsible for. A Tournament Founder took on the duty of keeping those in their competition safe until the event was completed. Even Maximillion Pegasus had seen to the safety of the finalists when Duelist Kingdom had taken place. Kaiba may not like 99% of anyone on board his ship, but that didn't lessen the fact that he was the one honor bond to keep them alive and well till Battle City was finished.

Exhaling a bit, he waited until the sound of shifting cloth in the still air was heard before he spoke, "You're involved in this."

Kaiba didn't state it as a question.

Behind him, Ishizu shifted again. She'd been summoned to the CEO's office a few minutes ago. Kaiba had been looking out the window without acknowledging her, so she'd waited, knowing what he wanted to speak on. The situation on the airship was rapidly becoming more complicated. The young teen would soon be loosing control over his Tournament, not something he would bend to easily. He refused to believe that anything outside of normal was occurring, refused to accept his role in what was to come. Which meant, she had to step in to push him in the right direction.

"Yes...But not with what you think. I have neither the skill nor the patience for computers. I am unable to hack your system as you think. But yes, I did use your Master Key to enter one of the guest rooms."

Kaiba frowned but didn't turn to look at her, "And the other instant my card was used? Who was it? And how did they get into my system?"

Ishizu shook her head, "I don't know...my brother is very clever and can manipulate and control the minds of others. Perhaps one of your men was controlled to gain access too..."

"Enough!" She stopped speaking, cut off in the middle of her words as Kaiba spun his chair around and stood in a flurry, rage vibrating from him but the emotionless mask of his face remaining the same, "Do you honestly expect me to believe some fairytale about mind controlling items and monster infested dimensions? This isn't a children's horror story, its a Duel Monster Tournament, founded by me. And I will not have my reputation tainted because of your family issues."

The Egyptian women did not falter before Kaiba's cold voice, stepping forward to stand before the large oak desk and stared down at him with clear eyes, "You cannot continue to deny you part in this Kaiba. You have seen what I've shown you and you know it to be true. You are connected to the Nameless Pharaoh and the actions that have occurred in the past and that are destined to occur in the future. Lying to yourself helps no one and will only harm those you are sworn to protect. Stop running and face this."

Kaiba took in a deep breath to steady himself. The events that led up to and were still occurring in Battle City would have driven a normal man insane. Seto Kaiba was not normal. And he venomously denied the supernatural occurrences that he'd seen. Smoke and mirrors, drug induced frenzies, man men playing at god and cultists brainwashed into submission. All of it could be logically explained when he thought about it. But even his iron clad skepticism was starting to falter. The visions shown to him by Ishizu that awakened emotions he hadn't felt since he was a child. Fear...belief...wonder...Things he'd buried after his adoption to Gozaburo Kaiba out of a necessity to survive.

And now...now on board his own custom made airship, within the confines of his tournament, he was starting to question what was real and what wasn't. There was a draw towards Yugi and his Geek Squad. A pull...since they seemed to be the center for the unnatural events unfolding. Then there was Kari Russell herself. A girl that enraged him simply by looking at him, something his impressive control and discipline had beaten out of him long ago. He felt off balance, unstable...and Ishizu's insistence that only accepting the truth would right him was starting to sound plausible. He opened his mouth to snarl back a nasty comment...

The collective screaming of terrified voices and the blood chilling howl of something that sounded vaguely dog-like cut off any words.

* * *

Lunch had gone...relatively well.

After Kari had starting breathing normally again _(after punching Joey in the arm for hitting her too hard),_ the group had broken apart. Kaiba-Craft 3 was designed to give comfort and entertainment to its guests, to help them relax during the day in preparation for the heated Duels in the evenings. So with that in mind, each member had their own desires to fulfill.

Namu and Duke both agreed to keep an eye on Ryou for a time, as the siblings had handled the night watch. Joey, Tristan and Yugi had been informed of the on board arcade, equipped with the last games and systems for their entertainment. Kaiba was lucky he'd built his craft sturdy from the Viking effect the boys displayed at that news, the stamping of excited feet probably could have toppled a mountain. Mai had tried to drag Kari along with the girls to lounge in the luxury spa, insisting that a facial and massage would cure anything. While highly tempted to follow, the red head needed to pound out her excessive energy on something a lot more physical.

Which lead to the next problem. As they'd all agreed to stay in pairs and Kari was trying to run off on her own, Yugi had insisted that Yami stay with her. That had led to an interesting conversation. She still hadn't explained how she could see him, aside from simple saying she was unique, but had argued with his young host about the escort. "He's a translucent body, Spike. How's him following me around gonna help? Aside from being awkward for us both."

To which Yami had demonstrated that he could in fact perform some physical contact with the environment, even in his current state. Mai had almost fainted when Yami had transferred enough energy to grasp a glass in his hand and lifted it up. To most everyone, it appeared that a ghostly presence literally picked up the item and hovered it in mid-air. Yugi and him didn't mention that doing such tasks was quite difficult, requiring a great deal of focus and making them both tired afterwards, and Kari didn't question it much further, having run out of excuses to argue.

The Puzzle Spirit was quite sure Yugi's intentions were fueled by both concern for everyone's safety and a mischievous attempt to get him to spend time alone with the girl. However, he found he didn't mind the young boys meddling that much. Kari was a fascinating creature and being able to observe her without her able to dodge him could be interesting. Of course, she didn't quite agree.

So now, the irritated crimson girl was walking down the hallway back to her room with a see through amnesic Pharaoh beside her. As the airship was fairly small, Yami could distance his Spirit form from the Puzzle for a time. If the separation got too great, he would be pulled back regardless of his attempts to resist. The only downside to him staying with Kari was...

"You do realize that of everyone on this boat, I am the one who needs the least amount of protection. I'm probably capable of kicking everyone ass two times over...including yours."

He couldn't talk to her. They'd already determine that Kari couldn't read lips, so any communication between them was relayed via Yugi or by simple body language. Which she was remarkable good at reading, but the mild annoyance of not being able to respond was still present. It also meant she could rant to him and he couldn't really do anything about it. But, there was a plus side as well.

Smirking boldly, Yami walked through the wall of her room as she opened the door. On the other side, he moved his hand and hovered it over the girls head, lifting his palm up and down. Kari swatted at the appendage, scowling when her attack passed right through and snarled back, "You are barely taller than me. And besides, I am freaking fast on my feet. You can't beat what you can't catch, King."

He could annoy her in return and she couldn't do anything about it.

Kari huffed and flounced away from the smug Spirit. Despite the weird situation, it was somewhat comforting having him nearby. She couldn't really feel him in a traditional sense, but her mystical instincts tingled slightly, even as weakened as they currently were. Yanking out her backpack, she dug inside till she found her white Jujitsu uniform and brown belt. She was too young to be considered for black belt yet, but her Sensei held hope she'd reach that platform next year. As Kari reached for the t-shirt she always wore under the Gi, the skin on her right shoulder warmed slightly.

Turning her head, she found herself nose to nose with Yami's curious face. Deep wine colored eyes gazed deeply into her own emerald one. Kari felt her heart pick up pace, long suppressed memories rising to the surface at his closeness.

 _Dry heat...desert sun...tanned skin...cool gold...A deep baritone voice whispering past her ear...fingertips trailing along her arm..._

She swallowed hard even as a flush crept up her neck. Yami's eye fell downwards focusing on her lips for just a moment before he blinked, seeming to come back to his senses and stepped away, placing more of a respectable distance between them. He pointed at the clothing in her arms, tilting his head to the side with questions in his expression.

Kari took in a breath, trying to calm her erratic emotions, "It's a uniform worn by those trained in self defense. I study Jujitsu mostly...and some Taekwondo and Krav Maga on the side. I been practicing since I was little...hate to think what my temper would be like without that as an outlet."

Yami hadn't meant to crowd her. Honestly, he mostly been curious about the strange clothing she'd pulled out and hadn't thought about where he was standing. So accustomed to having no one but Yugi able to see him in this form, he stepped closer than he'd intended in his inspection. Her reaction had almost been worth it. The way her eyes had darkened, showing flakes of amber in the iris's. Her slight intake of breath and charming blush that had colored her cheeks. He wasn't sure if the reaction had been due to her being surprised or something else. And right now, he didn't really want to think about it too much.

Setting her bag down, Kari looked over at him again, a warning in her face and teasing tone on her voice, "I'm going to change...don't let me catch you peeking, I really don't want to damage Yugi's body."

He managed to look offended, even as Kari laughed and walked into the bathroom with her uniform.

Twenty minutes later, Yami was nearly in full agreement with the red head about her abilities. The gym on board the airship was fully functional. He'd wandered around the equipment while Kari had warmed up with a few stretches, after setting up her phone on the stereo system to play an upbeat variety of songs. He'd settled on an open spot to watch while the girl had stepped onto the blue mats and started a series of strange movements. It took a few minutes for him to pick up on what she was doing.

She was fighting invisible foes. Punches, kicks, blocks, dodges and jumps. All in a synchronised pattern. He could practically see opponents lunging at her, knocked aside, struck down or rendered incapacitated. Occasionally, Kari would yell loudly, the sound reverberating off the walls and sometimes making him jump. The pulsing music playing in the background heightened the energy in the room and she was soon flushed with exertion and sweat. And Yami couldn't have taken his eyes off of her if he'd tried.

The katas were familiar and soothing, burning through the stress of the last few days. Kari forgot she had an audience almost as soon as she started. She spun in place, swinging high with a round-house kick before ducking to sweep a second attacker to the ground. Jump to avoid the return kick and spin in mid-air...three swift punches up the center and an elbow to the temple to finish it. "KYA!"

Kari exhaled and pulled her feet together, bowing slightly at the waist as was the tradition. A muffled sound that did not have the electronic tone of her playlist came through the air. Startled, she turned her head and saw Yami gently clapping his hands. The fact that he could even make a sound doing that was fairly shocking, but what nearly got her was the look on his face.

Admiration...pride...and a dark, sensual expression nearly hidden from her view. His eyes were on hers again, unblinking and filled with power. Kari felt the air shimmer, a pulse of electricity that had her heart pounding for an entirely different reason. She was held immobile as he stepped towards her, movements slow...purposeful...she held her breath when he paused before her, fathomless burgundy orbs looking into her soul. Kari heard the air crackle from the tension...

Wait...the air was actually crackling...?

Yami's senses finally honed in on something other than the exotic girl before him. His head snapped up, looking over her shoulder. The far wall of the gym had jagged tendrils of black energy that was focusing on a center point, channeling into a spinning spiral that rapidly grew in size. He stared in fascination and shock as...something...started to push out from the swirling vortex.

An backwards jointed leg littered with cracks that glowed with a burning red-white light emerged from the darkness, tipped with razor claws. Blazing eyes of fire, a long snouted head, teeth dripping with drool and two stumps protruding from its shoulders.

In the far reaches of his stunned mind, the Spirit briefly compared the horrific beast that had slithered out of the wall as canine-like and somewhat familiar as his instincts finally registered the leaking of Shadow Magic. His shell-shock state was abruptly broken by the high-pitched frightened yell of his companion,

"Are you freaking kidding me!?"

The wolf sized beast opened a maw of death and roared so loudly the walls shook before lunging forward with speed that made its body blur through the air. Kari yelped and dove to the side, rolling on her shoulder as rancid breath and heat scorched by her side. The clatter and crash of metal hitting the floor lit the air as she flipped to her feet and spun to look back. The red-black dog was tangled in one of the gyms weight lifting equipment, heaving muscles shoving the heavy bars off its body as it struggled back to four feet. Yami had jumped with her, staring at the creature with wide eyes.

Spinning on her toes, Kari bolted for the exit, mind going into overdrive. In her side vision, she saw Yami running with her, but didn't have time to talk as she heard claws scramble on the metal floor and a demonic snarl closing in. She slammed her hand on the inner electronic lock as she cleared the threshold, hearing the _whoosh_ of the door closing behind her right before a **CLANK!** echoed from the far side.

Yami's near panic and ramped confusion screeched across the bond as he raced alongside Kari down the hallway. Yugi's respond was a frenzied flurry of words, _'Yami! What the hell is going on!'_

 _'Yugi! Stay away! There's...'_

"Get to Yugi!" He whipped his head to look at Kari as she dashed around the corner, hearing the door behind them crash open and the chilling shriek of claws on metal as the beast resuming the hunt. She managed a stern glare back, even as she untied her belt and ripped off the wrap around jacket of her uniform while fleeing, "Get to Yugi and hide! I'll draw it away!"

He blatantly shook his head, ignoring her order and continuing to race alongside her. While he admired her courage _(a lot),_ there was no way in hell he was about to leave her to handle whatever this was on her own. He heard Kari swear colorfully enough that if he hadn't currently been running for his life, he might have dropped from shock.

As the pair rounded the next bend, Yami sensed his hosts presences and looked up. At the end of the hallway, Joey, Tristan and Yugi were racing towards them with the small teen in the lead. Duke and Namu appeared around the corner at a more controlled pace.

Without thinking, he withdrew back to the Puzzle and surged into Yugi's body. His partner didn't resist the switch. Already in a forward motion towards Kari, his eyes snapped behind her as the snarling quadruped of death skidded around the corner, hot on her heels with a howl piercing the air. Screams of terror and horrified exclamations erupted from the others at the sight of the fiery canine as it leapt for the red head.

Kari spun in place, jumping backwards and flung her jacket into the air. The white cloth fell across the beast head as it lunged forward and she felt hands close over her arms before she was jerked sideways into a firm chest. The beast was temporarily blinded and misjudged the jump, sailing past and slamming into the side wall, loosing a pained yelp. From the back of his mind, Yugi jabbered in shock,

 _'Oh my God! Is that a Flamvell Firedog!'_

"What the fuck is dat!" "Jesus Christ!" "Yugi! Kari!" Panicked screams came from the group as they struggled to understand what was happening. Kari looked over her shoulder. Yami was physical in form and had both hands around her upper arms, having pulled her back flush to his front while yanking them both to the side. Luckily the quick movement had jolted the Puzzle to one side, otherwise the position she was in would have resulted in sharp pains down her back.

The fire monster was still stunned from the impact, her Gi's jacket clinging to its head. More running footsteps came from down the hallway. Kari's head broke from the entrancing gaze of the Pharaoh's. Down the hall from the opposite side of where the rest of the gang was currently freaking out, Kaiba and Ishizu bolted into view. The sight and feel of the tingling magic of the Tauk at her throat secured her next choice.

Reaching down, she grasped Yami's wrist in a death grip. Shoving away from him, Kari wrenched on his arm, dragging him behind her as she raced towards the female Tomb Keeper as she heard the growling beast regain its senses and start to scramble after its target once more.

Kaiba's brilliant, logical mind went blank at the site of the red-black dog-like body. Ishizu yipped in shock, eyes widening as she stared at the Pharaoh and Kari Russell running towards her. The commanding voice of the red-head jolted her from her stupor,

"Shield! Now! Hold it back!"

The two running teens darted between Kaiba and Ishizu as the Egyptian women raised her hands around her item. A sky blue aura surrounded her as she pulled on the power of her Necklace. Extending her arms straight in front of her, a concave lens of magical energy formed in the space before her, blocking the hallway.

Yami dug his heels in, jerking Kari to a halt, and spun to face the Flamvell Firedog. He saw the canine slam into the azure tinted wall of magic and Ishizu flinched, whimpering softly at the jarring impact. The fiery hound backed up and threw itself at the barrier, howling in bloodlust and determine to break through. Behind the monster, his friends scrambled about, yelling and shrieking in panic while simultaneously trying to find weapons or some other means to help.

As the Duel Monster rammed into the protective shield again, Ishizu cried out loud, dropping to her knee while her arms shook, "I can't hold it much longer! It's too strong!"

Kaiba struggled to understand how a rabid dog had been turned loose on his ship and how to contain it while Yami started to move towards the struggling Tomb Keeper. A hard jerk on his arm snapped his gaze back to Kari,

"It's after you! It has no interest in anyone else, you put everyone in danger by being near! Hold it as long as you can, then get the hell out of the way! King! Come on, we need distance! **MOVE!** "

Her screaming explanation was cemented with a yank that made Yami almost loose his balance, but he stumbled forward and continued to run with Kari, despite his desire to stay and fight. If what she said was true, and in this situation faith was all he could count on, then being farther away from is friends was the best way to protect them.

The sounds of screaming terror and howling death faded as the two bolted further into the ship. Kari led him into the vast room where they'd had lunch earlier. She skidded to a halt, panting slightly and looked around frantically. Spotting the metal doors of the elevators that led to the roof of the craft, she resumed the run/drag of Yami even as he resisted slightly,

"How do we stop this monster!? Can you destroy it!?"

Kari jabbed the button to the lift hard, and turned back to the Puzzle Spirit, "Of course not! I told you my magic is weak outside the Realm! You'll have to deal with it! Banish it back to the other side!"

Yami sucked in a breath, his fear starting to creep up as her words sank in, "Me! Kari...I don't know how to banish this creature!"

Emerald eyes snapped to his as the doors to the elevator opened just as the Firedog cleared the entrance to the room. A howl erupted from its maw as it streaked towards them. Yami shoved Kari into the small box without hesitation and she hit the button. He spun around just in time to see the monster leap at the closing door. For a second, he actually saw down the hideous red throat as the tip of its nose was caught in the slamming metal plating.

For a heartbeat the quite of the space filled the air. All that could be heard was the duo's rapid breathing. The calm was broken quickly as Kari snapped her head towards him, "What do you mean you can't banish it!"

Yami snarled back, "You know I don't have many clear memories! What made you think my use of Shadow Magic was miraculously unaffected!"

Kari's palm pressed to her eyes as she slumped against the wall of the elevator, frustration and stress pounding through her. Really, she should have expected that, but it was really bad that she had to learn about it right now, "You don't remember how to unsummon a Duel Monster. You're killing me here, King!"

Taking in a breath and trying to remain calm, Yami struggled not to snap in response, "I can use some magic...but most of the Puzzle's power is...instinctive. I don't know any spells or curses beyond using _'Mind Crush'_."

"Which is not going to help. Christ..." Yami watched with agitation as the red head ran her fingers through her hair. The motion of the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Kari stepped forward and grasped his wrist again, tugging him with her as she jogged onto the upper platform. The two stepped up onto the Dueling Arena. The high winds from the altitude whipped around them. In the bright light of the day, the arena looked almost serene with white clouds passing by and blue skies above.

Taking in a breath, Kari turned to the Puzzle Spirt, "Okay...if you can't get rid of it, you'll have to let me deal with it. Give me permission to use the Millennium Puzzle."

Yami stepped back, uneasiness and dread hitting him, "You said you could only use my Puzzle within the Shadow Realm. There is no black dome around us, how is a Duel Monster even able to be summoned into our world without a gateway?"

"I said I could use your Puzzle without your permission in the Shadow Realm under very specific circumstances. If you and Yugi agree, I can access a small portion of the items power and send the Firedog back to its own plane. And I said things were going to change. Why do you always assume everything I say is some kind of trick? God, you're so thick headed!"

Kari pulled on her longer tresses of hair, the temptation to smack Yami despite the threat that was moments behind them almost winning. Part of her was a bit glad he was acting like the man she knew, the other half wanted to strangle him. This shouldn't be happening, not yet anyway. It was too soon. She was not surprised when he venomously shook his head, "I...No, I can't allow that. I don't know you, I don't know what you'll do if I..."

"If you don't, that monster is going to tear you to shreds and likely me too!"

Yugi had tried to stay quiet and out of the way so Yami could concentrate, but the argument was escalating rapidly. And with danger so close, he had to intervene, _'Yami! What choice do we have! That thing is going to hurt someone! You said you wouldn't let anything happen to our friends, you promised!'_

 _'Yugi...I...'_ The amnesic man struggled to create a plan. He wanted to solve this problem, wanted to protect the innocent and to keep his oath. But the thought of giving access to his Puzzle, the place where his spirit resided, his sanctuary, to anyone, even Kari, filled him with anxiety. His eyes darted about as he fought to think clearly. Kari's expression changed to anger as she opened her mouth to snap at him again. Yami quickly spoke before she could,

"Tell me how to banish it!" Kari stared for a moment, "What?!"

Yami stepped closer to her. His eyes burned with such intensity Kari almost stepped away, "Teach me the spell, show me how to banish the Flamvell Firedog."

Despite the severity of the situation, the green eyed girl couldn't help but admire the Pharaoh. Even in his memoryless state, he was faithful to his nature. Unwillingly to bend or take the easy path, he had to be difficult and stubborn. She might be frustrated and annoyed by it, but damn if it wasn't hot as hell seeing him dare the world to take him down.

Before she could argue further, the familiar snarl of the Firedog split the air. Both of them spun to the far side of the platform, where the black-red dog stalked onto the stage. It moved more cautiously than before, circling the pair and studying them with predatory eyes. Kari felt her heart pound as Yami and her moved slowly, keeping as much distance as they could, eyes locked on the beast.

"You need to change your sight." Yami blinked but dared not take his eyes off the monster as he moved with Kari, "Don't look with your eyes...look with your mind. See the tendrils of magic that tie it to this plane...the leash that binds it...once you find it, you can sever it...its like swinging a sword, which you do know how to use, even if you don't remember...look hard King...and hurry."

Yami struggled to understand what she said, tried to follow her instructions. He was tempted to close his eyes, but the threat of the monster was too great to risk such a thing. As he stared at the Duel Monster made flesh and bone, something shimmered around the beast. It looked almost like heat waves he'd see from the blazing sun on hot summer days, but more substantial. Yami could see the waves start to solidify into snaking tentacles that seemed to vanish into the air.

Before he could try to act on the second bit of knowledge Kari had cryptically fed him, the monster's patience snapped. Muscles coiled under molten skin before the Firedog's claws clenched, propelling it forward faster than a bullet shot from a gun. Hands shoved at his side and Yami didn't resist the push. He rolled to the side, feeling the clogging heat of the elemental creature sear the air. Tucking in his legs, he bounced to his feet, darted backwards.

The Firedog spun towards him, lips pulled back and lunged again. Yami moved to dodge again, but the beast anticipated his reaction and snaked sideways. A pained cry, both physical and in his mind from Yugi, exited his mouth as the monsters teeth snagged on his jacket. It didn't clamp around his arm, but he felt the scrap of teeth draw blood and the heat from its skin started to burn his clothing and flesh.

A jerk on the monsters head pulled him off balance and Yami was forced to twist to the side as the Firedog swiped at him with a clawed front paw. Fisting his hand, he punched as hard as he could, aiming for the dogs blazing eyeball. The Flamvell Firedog yipped, both from the strike of his fist and from the sudden impact of Kari's shoulder as she tackled it from the side.

The double attacks knocked the beast loose from his arm, but Kari's forward momentum into the beast made her slide on one knee. Recovering more rapidly than either could imagine, the Duel Monster spun and jump on top of the bold red-head. Kari gritted her teeth, struggling to hold back a scream as the dogs flame touched paws pinned her shoulders to the ground, burning flesh and cloth. She wretched up her arms, sliding fingers between gashing teeth as she fought to keep the razor mouth from ripping off her face.

Yami scrambled to right himself, eyes wide as he saw the struggle Kari was in. The smell of seared tissue hit his senses and fear froze his muscles. Kari twisted her head, barely managing to save her cheek from getting bitten and tried to push her feet into the Firedog's belly to put more distance between them. His heart thundered with more force than when he'd faced _'Slifer'._

The desire to protect and the rage at seeing her injured flared through his blood. Ancient magic surged from his Puzzle, the golden glow lighting the area. In his palm, a softball sized orb of energy formed and he instinctively thrust his palm towards the snarling dog. Kari gasped in relief as the heavy, burning body flew off her with an explosion of gold light. Jerking her head up while crab walking backwards, she stared at the stunned canine that had gotten blasted across the arena. It was still moving, but much slower, a large section of its flank now black and smoking. Wounded, but not gone.

Her body throbbed from the assault but she yelled as she struggled to her feet, "King! Get rid of it! Now!"

Kari turned her head as she heard a pained grunt. The whites of her eyes became visible as Yami dropped to his knees. Sweat coated his brow and he was paler than death. Weakness gripped his body and his mind was becoming fuzzy. Yugi jabbered in confusion and Kari was suddenly beside him with arms wrapped around his torso,

"No! No-no-no...God damnit King! Don't faint on me, stay awake!"

His lips moved slowly, words slurring together, "Wha..ts...hap..pan..."

"You overdid it! Pulled too hard on the magic...King!...King!...Yam..ii..."

The voice of Kari started to fade. His mind was fading, vison growing blurry. A jerking motion had him looking up into emerald eyes, that pleaded with him to stay awake. It was the last thing he saw before the world slipped from view.

* * *

 _Heat...heat and the scent of sand and wind. Familiar...peaceful...calming._

 _'Home...Egypt...a memory?' His mind was slowly starting to become aware._

 _His eyes opened, the feel of a heavy weight on his head. He was sitting on something hard, with wide supports on the sides that his forearms rested on. Gold band wrapped around his arms. White cloth with gold and jewels littering the surface. Tanned skin, darker than he thought it should be._

 _He raised his head. The room was vast, with blurred human like forms moving all around._ _Tall pillars of light tan engraved with familiar markings. Braziers of fire burned on the sides, lighting the hall._ _Nothing was in focus, noises were muffled, voices unclear. He couldn't see anything, even in the bright light._

 _'What...what is this?' His thoughts seemed to be the only thing under his control. When he tried to speak, his mouth wouldn't open. He couldn't move his body, froze on the elevated seat and looking at the scene before him like a picture from a book._

 _A noise sudden rang through the air, clear as crystal water. A footstep...then another...and another._

 _The sound grew in volume and he could finally start to see something as more than a fuzzy image. A human shape moved towards him, slowly becoming more solid in for, like a ghost gradually taking on substance. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, could only stare in shock._

 _White marble...red fire...green emerald...a teasing smirk, so familiar it physical hurt. A worn maroon backpack held loosely in one hand. Long hair that shifted around flaring hips clothed in blue pants completely out of place for the setting. He knew her...she looked a little different...but he knew her._

 _Lips parted and that musical voice was all he could hear,_

 _"Ready to play King...?"_

* * *

 **Wow...well that took a while. Sorry about the slow update, but life has unexpectedly jumped in my way. I will continue to try and update and continue this story, but my interest is wavering a bit. And yes, the last part is a memory coming back to Yami in his weakened state. I do hope everyone really likes this chapter and its cliffhanger ending. Just to reassure everyone...no, I am not killing off either character. Please leave some reviews if you do. Enjoy everyone.**

 **Angel0y**


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